Decepticons Rising
by AstonMartinLover
Summary: Years before the Civil War, Cybertron is in the grip of a corrupt and tyrannical Prime, and Megatron, the miner, assembles a brutal and ruthless army to fight back against all who have oppressed his home-world. Based on the IDWverse
1. Decepticons Rising

Chapter one.

Decepticons Rising

The story began in the most innocuous of ways. No Primes that turned into tractor trailers, no treacherous, screeching commanders, no Earth.

No Autobots. No Decepticons. Just the mine.

The smell of steel. It permeated everything. To a human it would be overwhelming, but this wasn't Earth, and humans wouldn't exist for eons. This was Cybertron. Home of the transformers. A sentient mechanical race, one that valued function, technological advancements, and scientific research.

It was the first part of that, which seemed to cause problems. Functionism was the law of the land in Cybertron, as instituted by the Senate, which was led by Sentinel Prime.

Primes had complete authority, with the senate, he had brought along a golden age. Vorns and vorns of prosperity.

For some.

C-12 mine. It had been dug deep into the ground, and used to extract solid energon and minerals. And it was here that the crushing hardship of the so called 'golden age' was felt.

The mechs here were sparked with the bodies of miners, they had no choice in their career. They were paid little. They were as close to unofficial slaves as a society could find.

Megatron let out a groan as his drillbit hit a rock. It let out a horrible grinding noise and sheared. He sighed, pulling his arm back. The drillbit, bent and broken, hung from a slot in his arm. "Damn." He muttered. Irritation. He was probably going to catch grief for this later, he tended to burn through drillbits.

"Tore through another one?" Terminus asked. He grimaced upon seeing the mangled bit, and unplugged his own. "Take this."

Megatron shook his head, the light on the mine ceiling glinting off his yellow construction tape that wrapped around his bucket shaped helmet. "I've taken enough of yours. You're not taking another beating for me."

"I'll take as many beatings as I have to." Terminus replied wholeheartedly. "I'm old, Megatron. I've given my whole life to these mines, they've already beaten the fight out of me. Don't need them beating it out of you." He unplugged his drillbit and began installing it on Megatron's arm.

Megatron smiled meekly. "I've never even been in a fight. There's no fight for them to beat out of me, old man."

"Perhaps. But when I read your writings...your words are your warriors." Terminus said. "They fight for you."

Terminus was the oldest mech in this mine. He'd been on just about every mine across cybertron. He and Megatron shared a chassis type and he had quickly taken the surprisingly bright young miner under his wing. He was the spiritual leader of the mine, one all the miners seemed to look up to, no matter where he went.

Megatron began drilling again. "It's tougher than usual today, isn't it?" He said with mild annoyance.

"Oh it's nearly impossible. We're under the Neandrah plateau, the metal is only going to get harder."

"Stop whinin' and drill!" A red and black minibot muttered, driving a drillbit that was taller than him into the ground. "They'll cut our energon rations again, you know they will."

"Rumble's right." Terminus agreed. "We need to keep drilling." He turned and looked for a drillbit, while Megatron felt a twinge of guilt at taking his, and began driving the drill into the metal wall.

"You still doing all that writing huh?" Rumble asked, sparing a quick glance in the mechs direction.

Megatron nodded. "Yes, best not to speak of it."

"What?" Rumble stopped drilling for a moment. "It's writing. People write stuff, News stuff, Datapads, somebody wrote them, right? I mean I'd appreciate it more if I could read, but what goods in gonna do me in this damned cave, huh?" He turned and began drilling again.

Megatron chuckled lightly. "You know what Rumble? Maybe one day I'll teach you how to read." The small red and black 'bot didn't get to answer him.

"You! Tank treads!" A deep, raspy voice barked from the entrance of the mine. "Unplug the drillbit."

Megatron turned around, and saw two black and white mechs walking towards him.

They were carrying guns. Large guns. Fear flashed over the miner, he took a single step back but stopped, getting ahold of himself.

Cops in the mine was a rarity.

"Alright." Megatron said, hiding the twinge of fear he felt. He unplugged the drillbit swiftly, and places it on the ground. "Is there anything you need, officers?" He asked.

"Yeah. We need to have a word. Do you have any weapons on you, miner?" The first officer responded gruffly, eyeing the mech closely.

"No sir." Megatron replied quickly. "I am unarmed."

The second officer walked up and grabbed the mechs arm. Though Megatron was larger than both mechs, he was intimidated. Both were professionals, their demeanor gave that away. Both were armed with rifles, and the symbol of the senate on their chests, like an alternate badge.

In other words, these weren't just cops.

Terminus walked over. "Can I ask where you're taking him?"

"Nowhere is where they're takin him." Rumble said, threateningly, walking towards the two officers, banging his little metal fists together.

Terminus grabbed him by the back of the neck and pulled him backward. Minibots were practically considered second class citizens, the police would not be tolerant of his resistance.

"Central Iacon." The officer replied. He eyed Rumble. "Got something to say, cassette?"

Rumble flinched, the words were spat out, venomous, full of hate and prejudice. Anger built up in the mech but Terminus pulled him back towards his drill.

"I'm cooperating." Megatron assured them. The two officers dragged him away, and Terminus watched them go, narrowing his optics as they left.

"And you! Old mech! Find a drillbit!" The other officer commanded.

* * *

They drove in a paddy wagon mech, a mech with a t cog upgraded for mass displacement. Mass displacement was something fewer and fewer seemed to be sparked with, and most of the time it was held in very high regard.

The wagon carried a nervous Megatron and the two police mechs toward the center of Iacon. The Citadel. Where the government operated. It was here that the senate, Prime, and a large amount of the city police were staffed.

Megatrons hands were unshackled but it was made very clear that this trip was not optional. The two officers made very little optic contact, and as soon as they stopped, the ramp lowered, and he was pulled from the vehicle, which transformed behind him, into a rather heavyset mech. He was brought into the building, past police mechs, and shackled criminals, down a brightly lit hallway toward a room.

They sat Megatron down in a chair and then left the room.

It was a wait. Megatron sat still, wondering what exactly was coming. And whether or not this was about his writing. It was supposedly anonymous... Had he been compromised?

The door finally slid open and a large mech walked in. His very presence confirmed all of Megatron's fears.

The large yellow and red mech that strode in was Sentinel Prime.

 _The_ Sentinel Prime. He stood opposite Megatron.

"Do you know why your here?" The mech asked.

Megatron folded his arms. "I...don't think I should be here. I'm just a miner."

Sentinel looked at a datapad. "Megatron. Born in Tarn. Mining body, turns into a non combat tank." He looked at the mech. "Writes some...very interesting literature."

It was like a bomb dropped in Megatron's fuel tank. He nodded nervously.

"Yes, but that's more of...a hobby. I don't really mean any of..."

"Oh no, don't sell yourself short." Sentinel Prime said, placing a servo on his shoulder. "Your writing comprehension is...excellent. Especially for a miner. Who taught you?"

Megatron rubbed the back of his neck. "I am self taught. In my downtime I would teach myself words..."

"Sounds like you may have a bit too much downtime. We need productive miners after all. But good on you for learning." He said, his voice dripping with false warmth.

Megatron looked away, his face looking extremely uncomfortable. Everything about Sentinel Prime radiated unpleasantness. He was trying to make Megatron squirm.

"What...did you think?" Megatron asked quietly.

Sentinel turned back and looked at him, like a predator whose prey had been baited.

"Oh I thought it very interesting. There was a part I found somewhat...disturbing. But overall an excellent read." He sat down across from Megatron. "Free elections." He said.

Megatron nodded. "The galactic council have had them on various homeworlds in the gamma sector, and they've had great success..."

Sentinel grinned. "I see you...read a lot as well." He said, with a confirming nod. "Free elections of senators...well it would certainly make the senators job harder." He looked Megatron in the optics. "And the people get to vote? Fliers, racers, miners, delivery drivers, starships, all able to vote...it sounds problematic. What if they make a wrong choice? An uninformed choice? I frankly think that the idea of allowing the common mech to vote is rather dangerous, don't you?"

Megatron sighed, venting harder than usual. "Well..."

Sentinel stood up, and grabbed Megatron by the throat and lifted him up. Megatron's optics widened in shock, terror like he'd never known coursed through his frame.

"And who would they blame?! Me! The Prime!" He slammed Megatron against the table. Megatron felt his backstruts buckle under the sudden and heavy pressure, before he could recuperate, he was being lifted.

"And I would tell them, well it was Megatron of Tarn's idea. His great contribution to our golden age." He drove Megatron against the wall.

Megatron tried fighting back, struggling in the Primes grip. Desperation set in. The Prime's grip seemed unbreakable. He felt like a fool, writhing around to no avail.

"You have the physique of a fighter. But the mind of a coward." Sentinel taunted. "Do you know how easily I could extinguish you?" He dropped the mech, who landed on his aft. Energon leaked from new dents in his throat.

"I want to." He said, cold hatred in his blue optics. "Just cut the head off the snake of your dangerous rhetoric. But your death would be hard to cover up. You have so many readers after all." He sneered. "So instead I'm going to send you to hell, Megatron. I'm going to send you somewhere where your words will be forgotten." He suddenly punched Megatron across the face, sending some energon splattering across the wall. Megatron steadied himself with a servo to the nearest object, he gripped his bleeding nose.

"And you will remain there until you remember your place. Tomorrow you will leave for Messatine. The mining colony there could certainly use your skills. You will not be permitted a datapad, you will not receive or send transmissions from anyone. You will be a good, productive miner, yes?!"

Megatron was panting hard. He looked up at Sentinel with terrified optics. Then he looked down at the floor and nodded.

Sentinel leaned down and glared into his optics, tilting his helm up to force the miner to look at him. "Say it."

"Yes." Megatron said quietly, defeated.

"No. What will you be?" Sentinel demanded.

Megatron was on the verge of a breakdown. He put his head down.

"I will be a good, productive miner..."

"Excellent. We have another miner for Messatine." Sentinel stood up, looking mighty pleased with himself. "Guards! get him out of here."

The guards came in, and lifted the slightly dented mech up, and walked him out.

As he walked, a blue and red police mech watched him, optics curious, then horrified as he saw the condition of the mech. He looked down at a datapad with one of Megatron's readings on it.

"Fascinating." Orion Pax said aloud.

 ** _[Edited by ThemSoundWaves.]  
_**


	2. Messatine

Chapter two.

Messatine.

Megatron walked out of the Citadel, he had one hour to get to the launch pad. A lot of the miners from C-12 were being transferred to Messatine with him.

He felt a strong sense of guilt. His whole mining group was suffering for his actions.

He leaned down and transformed into his mining tank form.

It was around the time of night where he might head to Maccaddams oil house, and have a drink with the other miners but he didn't have the time.

Why not just do what the government told him? He visited his tenement, gathered up all the drillbits he could find, then drove to the launchpad.

Terminus was there, with a handful of other miners.

Megatron frowned, as he walked up. Terminus immediately grabbed him, and began closely examining his dents and wounds, he was making no effort to disguise his concern for the mechs condition.

He had a strange habit of almost babying the younger miner.

"Who did this to you?" Terminus demanded, locking optics with the other, the mechs optics strict.

Megatron chuckled humorlessly. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you." He looked around again, before spitting out some energon from the still felt punch. "Where's Rumble?"

"He wandered off." Terminus said sadly. "Poor idiot thinks he can make it better on the streets than in the mines."

Megatron cocked his helm to the side, and mused over this. "He may not be wrong." He walked towards the ship.

"What did they tell you?" Terminus asked as they walked, side by side together.

Megatron came up the ramp and into the shuttle, Terminus sat next to him.

"They told me that I have dangerous rhetoric. They told me that I need to go someplace where my words will be silenced." Megatron responded.

Terminus' optics widened. "That's outstanding." Megatron arched an optic ridge at his reaction.

"Oh?"

"They fear you. Your words have the government frightened!" Terminus said almost excitedly.

Megatron gave him a harsh glare. "I'm done. I'm done writing. If I keep writing, they'll make things worse for me and if that doesn't work, they'll kill me. I refuse." He said angrily. "I don't want to die for some side hobby."

Terminus looked him in the optics, his face dead serious, the excitement of moments before had vanished.

"You know this was never a hobby. I taught you how to read. How to write. I still remember the day you handed in your first writing. You've had this in you your whole life, Megatron." Terminus smiled, trying to encourage the mech. "Once you had the ability to put it into words you were unstoppable. You are unstoppable. They didn't kill you. Because they know there are groups of people all across this world who'd be very angry if you died. They think you're a martyr."

Megatron sighed, then began shaking his helm, looking down and noticing one of his servos was still shaking. The fear still felt so real. He didn't want to offline, he felt he held more purpose then that. His run in with the Prime left him shaken, for how long, the mech didn't know.

"I don't want to be a martyr." Megatron muttered. His trembling digits clenched into a fist. "I want to live. I'm done writing." His gaze averted, waiting for the old mech to scold him for his choice.

Terminus nodded. "Very well. You can stop. It's alright, no one can force you. But after living this life long enough you'll see...this is no way to live."

Megatron looked mildly surprised, however, it was short lived.

"Strap in!" A mech said, walking past the group of miners, and getting into the shuttle cockpit. Megatron strapped in, his mouth setting into a frown.

It lifted off, and jetted toward the stars.

* * *

The journey to Messatine was quick. It was a small icy moon not far from Cybertron, and Megatron could see immediately that the place was in appalling condition.

The planet was white with snow, and as they approached, a snowstorm battered the shuttle's frame. The pilot seemed uneasy as he headed for the single landing pad. Megatron felt unnerved, he absently held onto the edge of his seat, he could only pray that the pilot knew what he was doing.

There was a large door in the side of a snowy mountain, within which lay the mine. The mine he was cursed to spend as live in as long as the functionists desired it.

Megatron unstrapped and stood up as the shuttle touched down. He could feel the cold through the shuttle's bulkhead but it hit even harder when the ramp dropped.

It was was like a punch in the face. Megatron covered his face with his arm and began the walk toward the facility. Terminus and the other miners followed behind him, huddled together. He could feel the bitter temperature nip at his armor, making it brittle, like one wrong hit would cause it to crack.

As they arrived at the door, Terminus walked past Megatron and pushed it open, it creaked horrendously, rust running down the length of the door.

They walked into the mine, which was a good amount warmer.

"Welcome home I suppose." Terminus said, in a pathetic attempt at a cheerful tone, as the group walked toward the recharge slabs.

They were very basic, and many of them were as rusty as the door. Megatron shuddered as he picked one, and sat down on it, unpacking his drillbits.

"I hate this place already." A dark green mech muttered as he lumbered over to the recharge slab opposite. He was almost as tall as Megatron and bulky. "I hate all these old mines. Damn death traps."

Megatron nodded. "I believe that's why they sent us here." He said, installing a newer drillbit. "They see us as expendable, If we're unproductive, as we _apparently_ were at C12, why bother with our well being?"

The mech let out a groan as he sat down. "Boy I love being someone's mining equipment." He grouched, while unpacking his own mining tools.

Megatron looked down at his drillbit and spun it once.

"We're all like drillbits to them." He said. "They use us until we're worn down, and we've lost our edges. Then they expel us like the refuse of society, to die on the streets." He eyed the large mech with his red optics. "What's your name?"

"Brawl." The green mech said, standing up. "Transferred from Tetrahex mine, this is my 8th mine this vorn."

Megatron nodded, shaking his hand. "Megatron of Tarn. Transferred from C12. Its good to meet you."

 ** _[Edited by ThemSoundWaves.]_**


	3. The Buried

Chapter 3: The Buried

Megatron drilled through a tuft of ice.

It was surprisingly easy. The ice was soft. But the deeper down he drilled, the more he found metals and rocks, which had a tendency to chew up drillbits.

Megatron's was doing fine however. He pulled out some shiny minerals from the wall, and placed them in a bucket next to him, then went back to drilling.

Terminus was using a large drilling rig across from the mine, and it was making a horrible noise. Megatron wanted to go help him, but he needed to be alone with his thoughts.

All he could think about was that moment. That fear as he faced Sentinel Prime. That thought that the government, supposedly loving, benevolent and caring toward their people, had threatened to kill him, for something as innocent as writing his political opinion. It seemed to confirm all of his deepest fears about the functionists.

Functionists had been rumored to be behind many atrocities on cybertron but many had been dismissed as hoaxes. Megatron wasn't so sure anymore.

The mine shook. Megatron frowned, pulling his drillbit out of the wall to looking around. He arched an optic ridge, he heard Terminus shut off his drill rig.

The miners exchanged glances. Uneasy glances.

The mine foreman, a large sledgehammer of a mech, appropriately named Pounder, glared at the mechs when they stopped working. He had heard it too, without a doubt he had, he didn't seem too concerned.

"Come on." He said, clapping his servos. "This ain't a break, fire those drills back up!" He demanded.

Megatron gave him a hard glance. He'd only been here a month now, and this new foreman, Pounder, had only been there a week. He already greatly disliked the mech. He was the typical bully type. Someone who had never actually mined or toiled a day in his life, but derived pleasure from yelling at others to do it to his standards.

Megatron let out an audible sigh that he hoped Pounder heard, then started up his drill and went back to work, and after a hesitation, Terminus and the other miners did as well.

Megatron grimaced as his drill hit something hard, and he heard the drillbit snap. He pulled it out, to find only half of his drillbit remaining. Tough metals. Broken drillbits were irritating.

The cavern began to shake again, harder this time, and Megatron looked around. Some metal shavings came down and landed on his shoulder. His vents caught, and he stilled. A frown of thought, his spark clenched momentarily in fear.

Then came a crashing sound. A sound so loud that Megatron had to grab his audios, it was overwhelming.

The entire cave shook ever harder, he leaned against the caves wall to balance himself, Megatron felt something large come crashing down.

For a moment all he could hear was the ringing of overpowered audio sensors, It was quite painful. He pulled off his helmet and gripped his bare audios hard, fear coursing through him.

It came back slowly, He could hear yelling, The miners were running over to a section of the cave that had collapsed. Dust and smoke filled the air, and metal shavings whirled around, stinging at the miner's armor.

Megatron got up, and placed the helmet back on his head, stumbling over to where the other miners had assembled.

"Everybody back!" Pounder shouted. "Stay back!"

Terminus ran over. "There was at least one person over here!" He shouted.

There was a moaning sound coming from the debris. The miners all turned to it.

"It doesn't matter, anybody goes in there, it'll threaten the stability of the whole mine, stay back." Pounder commanded.

"Everybody back up." Megatron said, stepping forward, taking charge. "I'll look."

"No!" Pounder barked. "Did you hear me? Nobody goes in there."

Megatron gave the foreman a stern look.

"I can hear someone under there! There is someone alive underneath all that debris. I'm going in there to see if I can save him. You all stay out here and stay clear."

Pounder glared at him, clearly not wanting to be shown up.

"Go then. If you get buried, no one will come for you."

Megatron climbed up the pile of metal. He swiftly began pulling up the debris, and tossing it aside, lifting it effortlessly. The mechs strength had always been one of his strongest assets though he used it only for work.

He heard the moaning again and the pitiful sound grew louder with every metal shelf he tossed aside.

Until he tossed a fragment aside to reveal a green mech, blue optics flickering, clinging on to life.

Only his upper body was visible, a jagged piece of metal sticking out of his energon tank. Megatron shuddered thinking of just how damaged his lower body must be.

"Help...help me...it hurts so much..." the mech said, grimacing as he spoke. "Please help."

Megatron grabbed the back of the mechs helm and held him.

"Where are you from?" He asked the mech.

The mechs optics were wide with fear but they got a little smaller. He coughed up some energon.

"Pol...polyhex." The mech muttered. "6th cycle."

"6th cycle? We were born on the same date." Megatron said with a warm smile. "I'm surprised we've never spoken before. You were in C12, I recognize you."

"I know you...you're the writer." The miner whispered. "Megatron right?"

Megatron nodded. He looked down and could see more energon bubbling around the wound. This mech had minutes left, maybe even moments.

"Terminus talks about you all...all...the time." The mech said. "But I never had the courage to talk to you. I mean...I dunno, you seem like a busy mech and...and I'm just...another miner." He trailed off, his voice growing weaker.

"Enough of that talk." Megatron said softly. "We are all equal in this mine, brother." He said, holding the mechs helm up. "Tell me your name." Their optics connected, Megatron's warm. He felt a strange need to make this mechs passing as painless as possible.

"H-Hauler." The mech muttered. "Megatron I can't see...my optics are conking out, ugh slag..." He groaned.

"Hauler." Megatron stated. "Your name will live on. You will never be forgotten, understood? Hauler, do you understand?"

Hauler shook his helm. "I'm just a miner..."

"Shh." Megatron said softly. "You are so much more than that. You are Hauler of Polyhex. And your memory will live on forever."

Hauler's helm dropped to the side and his optics offlined.

Megatron bowed his helm, and let out a long vent.

"Goodbye, Hauler of Polyhex."

* * *

Megatron walked back to his recharge slab. His frame was sore and tired, and his optics dimmed by what he had seen.

Death was not uncommon in the mines. But it was usually quick, sudden. To be able to speak to the soon to be dead was unusual.

He wiped some energon off his frame and resisted the urge to purge. Hauler's fading optics would not leave his mind. It scarred him.

He hadn't know Hauler, he wished he had. So much time wasted not knowing what could've been a valuable comrade.

When he arrived at his recharge slab, he noticed something sticking out from behind it.

He frowned, cocking his helm to the side. He reached down and pulled out an old, out of date datapad.

It still functioned. He looked over at Terminus, who nodded to him.

Megatron let out a long sigh. His work was done until morning. So he laid down on his recharge slab and began typing.

Silence was what the senate wanted. Silence was what Sentinel Prime demanded.

Silence had killed Hauler.

[Edited by ThemSoundWaves]


	4. Rage

Chapter 4: Rage

The next few weeks were uneventful. Megatron would mine, until his body could take no more, then write.

He couldn't hit send. Sending his teachings and manifestos out like that would alert Sentinel Prime and the government immediately.

Instead, Megatron's words would be copied, and smuggled off world with the help of Terminus, who had many connections.

He knew a shuttle pilot who brought supplies to Messatine regularly, and that mech smuggled the copies of Megatron's work out, and distributed them carefully on Cybertron.

Megatron was finally working out his fear, anger, and sadness over the death of Hauler, and his current predicament.

Today the drilling had commenced early. The day before had been largely a waste of time, as virtually no energon or minerals were recovered. As punishment, they started earlier. Today had to go well, otherwise the mine might get a visit.

Megatron was drilling, and doing a pretty good job. He was in his tank mode, trundling forward slowly and powering through the hard metals.

Terminus was across from him, with Brawl, using a drilling rig to plow through another section of metal.

Terminus let out a groan, as the drill began to shake.

"You alright boss?" Brawl asked.

In the background, Pounder gritted his teeth.

The miners had a habit of calling Terminus 'boss' and it made the already angry and insecure Pounder furious. But he merely stood back and continued to watch them work.

Terminus nodded. "I'll be alright lad."

Megatron looked over with concern, then eyed Pounder, knowing he would be reprimanded if he stopped for too long.

The mech continued drilling, frustration and anger building as he dug deeper.

Terminus let out a cough and collapsed off of the rig. He was grabbing at his chest.

Megatron and Brawl both ran over to the fallen mech, and the other miners quickly gathered around.

"Terminus are you all right?" Megatron asked frantically, optics wide. "What happened?"

"Just some...fatigue." Terminus muttered. "I'm fine lads, don't worry." He said, leaning up.

"Alright that's enough!" Pounder shouted. "He's fine! Get back to work!"

Megatron turned to Pounder. "He needs a moment." He snarled, more aggressively than he should have.

Pounder stormed over and shoved Megatron off.

"Who do you think you're speaking to?!" Pounder demanded. "GET THAT DRILL SPINNING AND GET BACK TO WORK!"

Megatron let out a growl and glared at Pounder.

Then he grabbed his drillbit, and unscrewed it, letting it drop to the cave floor.

Pounder's optics widened.

"You better put that back on." Pounder warned. "Miner, I will write you up if that drill isn't on your arm in 5 nanocycles."

"You'll have to do more than that." Megatron replied. "Terminus is hurt. I need time to ensure his well being."

"He's fine." Pounder stated, shoving past Megatron. "Get up!" He shouted, pulling Terminus to his pedes. "You've gotten enough rest..."

Megatron grabbed Pounder and yanked hard on his arm, spinning him, and then shoving him into the mine wall.

Pounder let out a groan and dropped, energon streaming from his face. He wiped it off then glared at Megatron.

"You spawn of a glitch." He said, standing up slowly. "I'm gonna peel you out of your chassis."

He punched Megatron across the face, but Megatron had had enough. He grabbed Pounder's helm, and brought it down hard on his kneecap, then began punching down on the mech's back and neck.

Megatron might not have fought much in his life. But his blows were ferocious. He'd been born with a point one percent spark, and he had more strength than the average cybertronian.

Pounder let out a roar, as the punches landed, and he straightened out, and punched the side of Megatron's helm, then shoved him back against a drill rig.

"Do you know who I am?" He demanded.

Megatron dodged a wild swipe, and then punched Pounder in the fuel tank. "You're nothing." He said, darkly. "A loud bot with nothing worthwhile to say. A waste."

The other miners grouped around, cheering, as Megatron and Pounder brawled.

But it was one sided. Megatron was untrained, unrefined. But his rage gave him such a strong advantage.

And rage was all Megatron could feel right now. It burned through his frame like poisoned energon. He grabbed a jagged chunk of metal out of the wall and brought it crashing down on Pounder's back.

The mech let out a groan of pain. He was down, and he was having trouble getting up.

Megatron knew he needed to stop. This was going too far. He kicked Pounder's helm, putting a large dent in it.

Pounder was shaking his helm. "Please...enough..."

Megatron paused. The rage was out of control. He tried to calm down but he couldn't. A voice in his helm was telling him no. It wasn't enough. Not yet. Pounder had to be taught.

So the miner turned, and tore a sheet of metal off the wall. He walked over to Pounder, hate in his optics. He lifted the sheet of metal over his helm.

"MEGATRON!" Terminus shouted. "ENOUGH!"

Megatron stopped. His anger frightened away instantly by the voice of the one mech who could ever tell him what to do.

He dropped the metal sheet on the ground, and then looked down at the battered, beaten Pounder.

"DAMN!" Brawl exclaimed. "You gonna talk slag now Pounder?!"

Megatron looked over at an angry looking Terminus, then back at a very frightened looking Pounder.

"Enough..." pounder whimpered.

Megatron turned and walked away from the foreman, and back over to his recharge slab.

Terminus, who must have been feeling better, stormed over and grabbed his shoulder, spinning the mech around to face him.

"Are you daft?!" He demanded. "Do you realize what you've done?"

"He pushed me too far." Megatron spat angrily.

"Oh?!" Terminus asked. "Did he? His quarrel is with me, not you, at least it was."

"You needed time. You were struggling, and he was mistreating you." Megatron stated.

"I'm old! It happens!" Terminus shouted. "This isn't about me, it never was! You're supposed to change the world and here you are, risking all of it over a silly brawl!"

"Huh?" Brawl asked.

"Not you!" Terminus shouted in annoyance. He turned back to Megatron. "You've put your entire future at risk with this stunt. What if you're arrested? It's difficult enough distributing here, it'll be even harder if you're in Garrus-9!"

Megatron took a long vent.

"I'm sorry. I...I haven't gotten that angry in a long time." Megatron said. "I lost control. Forgive me, Terminus."

The other miners had gone back to work. Pounder got up, glaring at Megatron, hate in his optics.

Then he hobbled away, swearing under his breath.

Terminus shook his helm slowly, looking all around the cavern, too angry to look at Megatron. He turned and started to walk away.

He stopped and turned around, jabbing a digit at Megatron.

"You damn well better keep it under control. I won't have any more of that silliness. You're more than a petty brawler. I want more for you than that." He walked away, irritably, huffing hard.

Megatron closed his optics and looked down, looking well and truly thrashed.

"Sorry Terminus."


	5. Decimus

Chapter 5-Decimus

A month had passed. No consequences. It was shocking for many in the mine, but Megatron tried to pay it no mind.

Pounder wouldn't even look in Megatron's direction anymore. His frame would heal over time but the mech never confronted Megatron, and seemingly never reported his behavior either.

Megatron did not mind that at all.

There was another odd benefit to the very public fight he had won.

Miners were coming up to him when things went wrong. With equipment, with other miners, with tough metals. It seemed Megatron has taken over Terminus's leadership role.

And Terminus certainly didn't mind that.

The old mech secretly liked being a pillar for the miners to lean on, but his age meant he had much shorter patience for these things.

Megatron meanwhile, seemingly had endless patience, despite the fact that he was spending almost all his time outside of working, writing entries and having Terminus smuggle them to his cargo pilot friend.

He'd done roughly ten entries since being forcibly transferred to Messatine. They took time to put together, and Megatron had a habit of saying too much, and having to edit it down. The mech had a lot of ideas to convey and he sometimes struggled to stay focused.

He needed a good editor.

But Terminus was rarely available for that. He needed more recharge than most, as his age began to catch up to him.

The mine was struggling. Lackluster mining equipment was starting to put them behind and they were regularly falling behind schedule.

Today, Megatron was helping Brawl with his malfunctioning mining equipment.

"Too many RPM's." Megatron stated.

"More RPM's is good though." Brawl replied.

Megatron chuckled. "Not on these old machines. More RPM's means more gears being stripped."

Brawl cocked his helm, the mech clearly not understanding. He looked down at the machine then back up at Megatron.

"But more RPM's is good." Brawl said, matter of factly.

"Oy!" Pounder said, walking in. "I want everyone to stop working right now!"

Megatron arched an optic ridge. "STOP working? That's new."

"Can the attitude." Pounder said, his optics barely glimpsing at the grey miner. "In a few minutes, a ship is landing on the pad carrying Senator Decimus, and his elite guard. I don't know why he's here, I'm as much in the dark as you are."

"A senator?" Brawl asked. "I'm gonna hit him."

"You will do no such thing." Terminus snapped. "There will be no violence toward anyone. The elite guard is well armed, and attacking a senator is practically a death sentence."

There was rustling of disapproval in the crowd.

"Slag that, lets see just how elite them guards are!" A miner shouted.

Terminus rubbed the bridge of his nose in irritation.

"ENOUGH!" Megatron barked. The miners went silent. "You heard Terminus. There will be no violence. Anyone who throws a punch will answer to me."

The miners looked to Megatron, then back at Terminus, who nodded in comformation.

Megatron smirked. Control. Not something he often wielded, but it felt good.

The shuttle landed outside, and the Senator disembarked, and immediately seemed to shrink from the cold and billowing snow.

His two guards were large, hulking mechs with identical body types. Rather Lugnut like.

Many guards of the senate had been forced to upgrade to the same powerful, blue and gold plated body type.

They walked in through the creaky, rusty door, and assembled in front of the miners.

The miners looked irritated. Pounder looked terrified.

And Decimus looked like he didn't want to be here.

The mech had a regal appearance, a gold plated frame, a long metal beard, a cape, and fancy cybertronian artistry on his chest kibble. He had an air of superiority that the was already riling up the miners before he even opened his mouth.

Of course it got worse when he opened his mouth.

"Miners of Messatine I have distressing news. The central government has been going over the economical gain of all the mines across Cybertron, and on colony worlds like this one."

Brawl cocked his helm to the side. The mech had already lost him.

"And unfortunately, Messatine is dead last in energon production. I'm so disappointed." He said, shaking his helm. "Cybertron needed this badly. But unfortunately this mining crew was not up to the task. So we're giving you all some time off. Messatine is shut down, effective immediately. There will be a shuttle to return you to Cybertron landing in exactly one hour."

There was a tense moment of silence. And then hell erupted.

"What the slag?!"

"TIME OFF?! UNPAID?!" Another mech demanded.

"Silence!" Decimus shouted. "You will all receive your final work paycheck when you land. You may reapply at the central mining assignment station in Helex in two weeks."

"You're asking us to go without pay for two weeks." Terminus said. "How exactly are we supposed to afford energon?"

"You can get in contact with..."

"No!" A miner shouted, walking towards the senator. "You mean to deprive us all of what little restitution we make, for two whole weeks?! For you I'm sure that is no problem Mr. Senator, for your guards and enforcers and thugs as well, but for some of us that is a death sentence!"

"Stand down miner!" One of the guards barked, pulling out a large pistol.

"I would recommend you do as he says." Senator Decimus warned.

"Or what?" Megatron demanded, walking forward. "You'll kill us? We are citizens, just as you! We are unarmed, and you are our representative! You will fix this!"

"Stand down!" The guard repeated. Megatron wisely backed away, but the other miner continued getting closer.

"I'm not going to listen to some corrupt, stinking rich politician tell me I'll be fine going two weeks without energon. How many weeks could you last without it, Decimus?!"

"Shut him up!" Decimus commanded.

The guard shrugged, then turned and fired.

A quick shot from his pistol. It went straight through the miner's forehead, sending energon splattering behind him.

The miner dropped, killed instantly.

Megatron watched it all unfold from behind and his optics widened, his jaw gaped.

He looked down at the miner. His optics were already offline, and his chassis was beginning to grey.

Megatron took another moment to look over the corpse. Then he looked up, and glared at the guard who had fired, and gritted his teeth.

The guard turned and pointed the still smoking gun at him.

"Don't try it, miner." The guard warned. "This is over."

Megatron stepped forward. The guard seemed genuinely surprised, and narrowed his optics.

"I said..."

He fired. Megatron craned his helm downward.

And a single blue laser, the same one that had just killed a fellow miner, ricocheted of Megatron's grey, bucket shaped helmet, and pinging uselessly against the mine ceiling.

He grabbed the mechs pistol, tore it from his grip and then cracked him over the helm with it, getting two good cracks in before the pistol broke.

The other guard pulled out his rifle, but Brawl and the other miners tackled him immediately, with Brawl wrestling the rifle from his grip and hitting him hard with the butt of it.

Megatron dodged a swipe from the guard, then shoved him back, kicking him before he could regain his balance, and sending him crashing against the wall of the mine.

Before the guard could recover, Megatron picked up a drilling rig, lifted it over his helm, and slammed it against his frame, knocking him into stasis immediately.

Decimus turned to the exit. Terminus shuffled in front of it, and planted himself.

"You've come a long way, senator." He said, actually rather politely. "You're going to hear us out. Now."

Decimus shook his helm. "Oh no. No talking you or your friends out of this one. You've assaulted a senator and his guards. I've already sent a distress signal to the senate. They're coming. I suggest you and your miners let me go and surrender swiftly."

Terminus sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose, again. Word was out. Already. And the senate was not going to be understanding.

"Alright. Chain them up." He commanded. He looked to the other miners, and to a still heaving Megatron, who was dragging the unconscious guard toward the center of the room.

"These three just became the only thing that can keep us alive." Terminus said softly. Worriedly. "You're our...guest now, Senator."

Megatron looked to Decimus, who was grabbed by two miners and dragged over to the corner where his guards were being chained.

"Make sure he cannot send for help." Megatron warned.

Terminus shook his helm, worry in his optics.

"Too late. He already did. They're coming."


	6. Drillbits

Chapter 6: Drillbits

Prowl leaned over his cubicle and stared down at Orion Pax.

"Whatcha doin?" He asked.

Orion looked up at him. "Paperwork. I arrested a group of circuit booster dealers this morning and Barricade wants me to do extra paperwork. Says he lost the copies he had."

Prowl smirked. "Oh wow, you pissed off the most corrupt cop on cybertron, you must be doing something right." He yawned. "I'm bored, give me something to do."

Pax filled in a datapad with text. "You could go pester Nightbeat about the Sherma murder case, he's been a shut in since he started the case."

"I'm not bothering him, I don't want things thrown at me." Prowl replied sharply.

"You could go help Ratchet identify a body down at the clinic." Pax said. He looked up at Prowl, smirking without his faceplate. "Or get off your aft and go on patrol."

Prowl's comm buzzed. He looked down at it and frowned.

"Duty calls?" Orion asked, arching an optic ridge.

"Yeah." Prowl replied, sounding concerned. "They need a tactical team commander. On Messatine. They want me."

Pax frowned. "Messatine? That's where they sent that writer. Who's ordering you?"

Prowl looked at the message again, then up at Pax. "Sentinel Prime."

* * *

Megatron stood near the rusty door of the Messatine mine. Pounder had literally run off, not willing to deal with everything that had just gone wrong. He had always been all talk.

Senator Decimus, and both of his guards, were chained up next to the mining equipment. Brawl was guarding them.

"You're all fools." Decimus said. "Once the senate gets wind of this, there will be a very hostile reaction. I'm talking an army here within an hour!"

"Shut up." Brawl muttered. "Or I'll slap all of you silly."

"Enough threats." Terminus said. "This isn't about violence." He was speaking to all the miners, but also to Decimus. "Senator, we merely wish for an audience, for our grievances to be heard."

"Really? You assaulted my guard and refused to allow me to leave, that doesn't sound like requesting an audience, that sounds like kidnapping." Decimus hissed. "The only way this ends peacefully is with your immediate surrender, and release of me and my guards."

"I'm afraid, Senator, that will be impossible." Terminus replied. "We will be heard."

Megatron listened and with each word, fear began to course through his frame.

They had committed a crime. All of them had. They had kidnapped a senator, and they were all in the senate's crosshairs now.

He wanted to be angry. The senator had killed one of his miners after all. But all Megatron could feel was a pain in his fuel pump, an overwhelming sense of dread.

Terminus walked over to a Megatron, as Brawl slapped one of the guards for being mouthy.

"I contacted my friend." Terminus said. "The cargo pilot. He's on his way here. He has enough room for all of us should this go bad but...I'm not terribly confident he'll be here before law enforcement."

Megatron let out a long sigh and clutched the sides of his helmet.

"This is my fault. It's all my fault. If I had controlled my anger, as you told me too..."

"That guard killed one of your brothers." Terminus stated. "I know what I once taught you not to get too emotionally attached, but when one of your brothers is gunned down, you have a right to act. I'm just grateful he didn't kill you."

Megatron looked at Terminus, fear and sadness evident on his face but he couldn't help but smile at that. He leaned forward and hugged the mech.

"You are more than I deserve, Terminus." Megatron said, his voice cracking. "I'm...im afraid." He said, looking ashamed of his own words.

"So am I." Terminus said. "No matter what happens, you will endure." He said, putting his servo against Megatron's helmet. "Be strong, like you were forged to be."

There was a loud whirring noise as a massive, imposing looking vessel hovered overhead and then touched down on the landing pad next to Decimus' shuttle.

Megatron peered out the door, his optics narrowing.

"I don't suppose that's your cargo pilot friend." Megatron said.

The ramp lowered and senate troops poured out of the ship, and onto the snowy ground.

Megatron pulled back from the door. "Do you think if we seal the door they can break through?"

"We aren't staying in here." Terminus said. He looked Megatron in the optics. "Miners!" He called. "Brothers, we are going out there and we are demanding better treatment!"

The miners, all different shapes and sizes, walked over and assembled around Terminus.

"Today, my brothers, we are free!" Terminus said. "Nothing they say can change that! We have a senator here, in our custody, which means they must hear us! They will listen to us, and if they feel that our lives still mean nothing, and we die today, we die free from their system!"

The miners shouted and yelled in agreement, holding drills and small mining tools in their hands.

"Let us confront them, brothers!" Terminus shouted.

The miners opened the door and stepped out into the icy Messatine surface.

Megatron turned to join them but Terminus stopped him.

"No. You stay and guard the prisoners." He said plainly.

Megatron's optics widened. "What?! You're all going out there, I can't abandon my brothers..."

"If you step out there, you are abandoning something far more important. Your cause." Terminus said, placing a servo on his shoulder. He handed the mech a communication cube. "You will need this."

Megatron shook his helm, looking out at the army of senate soldiers, and then at the cube. "You will talk them down, yes? You will be alright? I don't like this, Terminus!"

"I will do my best." Terminus replied. "And so will you. Primus protect you, Megatron." Terminus said, embracing the mech quickly, then stepping outside.

* * *

Megatron returned to the Senators.

"Your friend is a fool." Decimus muttered.

"Silence." Megatron snapped.

Outside, Prowl stood at the front of the group of soldiers. He spoke into a loudspeaker.

"Miners! Stand down now! This doesn't have to get...messy."

"We do not wish to cause you a mess!" Terminus stated. "We merely want a living wage, and a choice of mine! We toil for days and weeks and months and we get nothing for it. We are shipped across the world, off the world, with no choice given to us. Surely you understand."

Prowl sighed, looking down at the snow.

He didn't want to do this. He looked back up at the miners.

"Please surrender now. We need you to move so we can check on the well being of Senator Decimus."

"We won't move." Terminus replied. "Not until the senate is willing to listen to our grievances."

Prowl was practically pleading. "Please. Stand down. Before this gets ugly."

"Ugly?! We live in mines! We die in mines! We get paid nothing! We have to pick up and move every single time you tell us, from planet to planet. You can't keep doin this to us!" Brawl shouted angrily.

Sentinel Prime watched from the shuttle. He opened his comm.

"Prowl, I am tiring of this foolish display."

"Listen to me!" Prowl said through the speaker. "If you surrender the senator now, we will listen to your grievances! Only if you surrender, right now!"

Terminus chuckled humorlessly, he turned to the other miners.

"What does that sound like lads? It sounds like we are being deceived. Your deception is wasted on us, officer."

"Enough." Sentinel said through the comm. "I've given this all the patience it's warranted. Shoot them."

"What?! No, sir I can talk them down, just give me time!" Prowl begged into his comm.

"WE ARE BEING DECEIVED! WE ARE BEING DECEIVED! WE ARE BEING DECEIVED!" The miners began chanting. It was a phrase often used in Megatron's writings, and Sentinel's optics widened. He recognized it immediately.

"DO IT NOW, PROWL, PUT THEM DOWN!" Sentinel commanded.

"Prime, please..."

"THATS AN ORDER!"

Prowl closed his optics and threw down the loudspeaker.

"Fire." He said quietly, stepping out of the way of the senate soldiers.

The mechs raised their rifles and Terminus closed his optics.

They opened fire, blasting lasers into the crowd. The miners let out cries of pain and terror as they were struck down. Some of them stood their ground while others tried to run, and a few even changed form.

The lasers cut them down all the same.

Just drillbits. That's all they were in the end. To be replaced when they aged or broke or lost their edge. Or when they took a stand.

Megatron heard it all fall apart from within the mine, and ran to the door, his spark dropping as though in freefall.

Terminus kept his optics closed and quietly hummed to himself, trying to find a semblance of internal peace, as a laser struck him in the chest. He grunted as he fell down to one knee. Another laser hit his arm, blasting away his drillbit, another hit his tanks. The miners around him fell to the ground, some wounded, many dead, and Terminus sat, on his knees almost as though in prayer, as the final laser struck his chest, and tore through his back. Finishing him off.

Megatron collapsed to his knees, almost mirroring his mentor. He pulled off his helmet, covered his face with it and let out a cry of agony into it, then dropped to the ground, the sadness violently coursing through his frame, he began punching his servos against the mine floor in anguish.

He could see Terminus, still sitting upright, on his knees. He could hear Brawl yelling. The mechs legs had been blown off but he was still alive, moaning in the snow.

Megatron's optics were wide, and his vents kept forgetting to puff. He began shaking his head, unable to compute what had just happened.

Terminus had said he could talk them down.

"Hey! Miner!" Decimus called out.

Megatron got onto his knees, slowly, and stood up. He turned around slowly, his optics a little redder than usual. He placed his helmet back onto his head.

The rage. It pushed the sadness and sorrow away. It was like welcoming back an old friend. Like a drug to ease the unimaginable pain.

"If you let me go now, I'll see to it you get immunity!" Decimus said. "You'll be free within a matter of months! I'll see to it!"

Megatron turned and closed the mine door and locked it. He walked over to his berth, and looked at his old datapad.

It still had a draft of his latest writing. Still unfinished.

He picked it up, his face wrinkling with anger. And he crushed the datapad in his servos.

Then he grabbed a drillbit and plugged it in. He spun it twice, to get a feel for it.

"Do you hear me?! Oy! Miner! I'm offering you a hell of a deal!" Decimus shouted. "Now get these damned chains off of me!"

Megatron turned and walked over to the three prisoners, spinning the drillbit slowly as he walked.

"My name is not 'miner.'" Megatron growled, shaking with rage. He walked right up to the mech.

He set the drill to maximum RPM's, glaring at it as it spun, admiring the smoothness of it. This drillbit was one of his best. He watched it spin for a second.

Then he turned and drove it through the senator's chest. Decimus let out a cry of shock and pain. Energon exploded from his chest, and he shook violently, Megatron shoving the drill even further into his chest.

"MY NAME IS MEGATRON!" He shouted, tearing out the mechs spark, then turning, and viciously dispatching the two guards.

Energon sprayed everywhere and Megatron let out a roar as he grabbed the head of one of the guards and tore it off. He hurled it across the mine, letting out a roar of rage.

Decimus' optics flickered and offlined and Megatron glared at his lifeless form for a moment, then stared down at the energon covered drillbit. He began shaking his helm again, unable to handle everything that had happened. He let out a roar of frustration, tearing at the stickers on his helmet. He was having a full on breakdown. He couldn't cope with what he had just done.

The communicube lit up.

"Hello? Terminus? I'm here, I just landed, where are you?" A voice asked.

Megatron didn't hear this. He tore the drillbit out of his armslot and hurled it aside. The rage was subsiding. All that was left now was grief, overwhelming, crushing grief.

He could hear the guards trying to break open the door. He didn't have time for grief or remorse.

The communicube lit up again.

"Terminus! If we're gonna go, nows the time!" The voice coaxed. "There's a pretty scary looking senate ship on the other side of this rock that I don't wanna deal with."

Megatron ran deeper into the mine as the soldiers busted in. He needed to find a way out.

He needed to get off this planet. And he needed to find his mystery pilot.


	7. Homecoming

Chapter 7: Homecoming

Orion Pax walked up to his desk, after another morning walking the beat. It wasn't easy being a beat cop, but after his last run in with the senate, it was likely the best he could get.

He had made quite a few enemies in the senate a few months ago.

He placed his cold Blaster on his desk. It was rarely used. Pax wasn't much of a fighter, not with a gun anyway. He set it there and sipped some warm engex as he read a newspad.

His comms system vibrated. He looked down at it.

A message from Prowl. Pax put the newspad and the engex down, and looked at the text message.

He let out a long sigh and put his helm down on the table.

It was not easy to be a mech with morals, working for Sentinel Prime.

* * *

The longest tunnels of the mine ran deep. Megatron changed form, rumbling through the mineshaft in his tank mode.

The energon on his frame was drying, and oddly, Megatron was starting to get used to the unsettling feel of it. Which was good because he couldn't afford to stop and dry it off.

"Terminus, are you there?!" The pilots voice repeated.

Megatron transformed up, and stood, looking down at it. He pressed down on the cube. "Terminus is dead." He said, emotionlessly. "I am...was...a friend of his. I need a way out."

There was silence. Some static.

"What's your name?" The pilot asked.

"Megatron." The mech replied, prying open a ventilation duct and forcing himself inside. He could hear the soldiers shouting from the main room of the mine. They'd discovered Decimus and his guards.

"Oh wow really? Well today's your lucky day pal, Terminus sent me here specifically to get you. I was hoping he'd still be alive but..."

"Where are you?" Megatron asked, crawling through the duct. He could feel the biting cold. This had to lead to the surface, somehow.

"I'm sending my coordinates." The voice replied.

* * *

Sentinel Prime strode into the mine. His faceplate slid aside and he narrowed his optics as he saw the mangled remains of the senator, and his two guards.

"Alas, poor Decimus. I wonder who did this to you?" He asked aloud. He didn't care much. Decimus was expendable. But he'd been told a leader was supposed to at least pretend to 'emote.'

He looked around. Prowl walked up to him.

"Sir." Prowl said. "The mine is secure."

"You hesitated." Sentinel said. "I gave you an order and you hesitated."

"Apologies." Prowl said simply.

Sentinel looked down at the black and white police mech.

"I need you to search through the bodies. Make sure that Megatron is dead."

Prowl frowned. "Megatron?"

"Yes. Megatron of Tarn. Ask the surviving miners if you must. I want his body identified."

Prowl nodded, his optics empty. He looked down at the floor.

"Find a stomach Prowl. You're a policeman for primus sakes." Sentinel snapped, before storming away. "Find me that body."

* * *

Megatron smashed through the grate and fell down into the snow, shaking as the snow whipped around him.

The energon was frozen to his frame almost immediately.

He coughed a couple times as he tried to regain his balance, then he began walking along the snowy plains.

"Where are you?" He asked into the cube.

"Hold on. I have your location." The voice said.

Megatron broke off a fragment of ice formed by some energon, and tossed it aside.

There was a loud engine noise, and then a white and purple shuttle streaked above him, circled once, then touched down.

A ramp lowered from the shuttle.

"I don't know how long I can stay undetected. We gotta go."

Megatron walked up the ramp, into the warmth of the shuttle.

The shuttle lifted off and immediately jetted toward the stars, quicker than it was likely supposed to.

Megatron let out a long vent, feeling like collapsing to the shuttle floor, but he resisted the urge.

"Where are you?" He asked aloud, as he watched the stars jet by. The ship was going at close to full speed. He began walking toward the cockpit.

"Well...you're in me." The voice replied.

Megatron frowned, looking around, before his optics twinkled with realization.

"Mass displacement?" He asked. "So you're not just a cargo pilot. You're a cargo ship."

"Yep." The voice replied. "Names Astrotrain. And I'd just like to say, I'm a huge fan of your work."

Megatron sat down on a seat, his mind racing.

"My...my work?" He asked. "Oh! My writing, sorry I'm a bit...distracted."

There was an awkward silence as Astrotrain soared towards open space.

"How did he die?" Astrotrain finally asked.

Megatron bowed his helm, removing his helmet and placing on the floor, running his servos through his helm wires.

"They shot him. They...shot everyone." He said. "Just...drillbits." He said, his voice cracking.

"Huh?" Astrotrain asked.

"Nothing." Megatron replied. "Thank you Astrotrain, for the rescue."

"No problem. So uh...any idea where you wanna go?"

Megatron seemed buried in deep thought. He picked up the mining helmet, looking at its mining stickers. He began peeling them off, one by one.

He wouldn't be needing them.

"Where did Terminus live?" He asked Astrotrain. "I never...never asked him."

"Kaon." Astrotrain replied.

Megatron placed the now plainly grey helmet back onto his helm. "Then I will go to Kaon."

* * *

Brawl was cuffed, and sat next to a handful of surviving miners, staring at the snowy ground. He was sitting on his aft, jagged stumps where his legs had been blown off by the gunfire.

Prowl walked out of the mine, and walked over to the group.

"I need to know information about one of you. A miner." He stated plainly.

There was silence.

He sighed. "I'm sorry for what happened here. I can understand you're all afraid, and angry. Well I can assure you, no harm will come to you from this point forward. I need your cooperation."

"We're going to prison." Brawl spat. "So don't feed us that slag.

Prowl looked over at the mech and narrowed his optics. He walked up to Brawl.

"I know this is very difficult." Prowl said, trying to sound sympathetic. "I need you to help me with something. I need to know about Megatron."

Brawl frowned under his faceplate. "Megatron?"

"Yes." Prowl replied, looking out at the field of bodies. "I need his body identified. My commander needs to know if he's dead or not."

Brawl looked at Prowl, then out at the bodies.

And his spark leapt.

Megatron was not among them. He had known Megatron long enough in that mine to spot his body type. Brawl smiled under his faceplate as he realized the mech had not been among the dead.

He noticed Terminus, sitting upright in the snow, optics offlined, frame already greyed.

"That's him." Brawl said, gesturing to the body of Terminus. "That's Megatron. He was one of the first to fall. And he was ten times the mech you are."

Prowl barely even flinched at his insult. He looked over at Terminus'a body, and nodded, writing something on a datapad.

"Thank you for your cooperation." He said, turning and walking away. He opened a comm link. "Prime. Confirmed. Megatron is dead."


	8. Kaon

Chapter 8-Kaon

Astrotrain blasted across the sky, entering Cybertron's atmosphere, and streaking towards the surface.

Megatron could see Kaon from here. Darkly colored, and older than most other cities, it was largely industrial, and was considered one of the more crime infested cities on cybertron.

Megatron stared out of Astrotrain's window as they approached a rooftop.

"What is this place?" Megatron asked, as Astrotrain's ramp lowered.

"Home. At least temporarily." Astrotrain replied.

As soon as Megatron stepped out, the vessel shook, and transformed down into a white and purple mech, who was significantly smaller than his alt mode, but still surprisingly taller than Megatron himself. Megatron marveled at his mass displacement. It had very little place in the mine, of course.

"You must be quite valuable." Megatron said, as the mech cracked his neck. "That's quite an ability you have there."

"It is." Astrotrain replied. "But being a cargo pilot doesn't pay as much as you'd think. It cost a lot of energon charges just now, flying out to Messatine."

"Apologies." Megatron said, walking toward the door. He opened it and walked down into the apartment building.

"Where is the way out?" He asked Astrotrain.

"The way out? This is Terminus' apartment building." The mech said. "Figured you'd wanna spend some time here."

Megatron looked around, optics analyzing the area.

Not quite a tenement, but still lower class.

"Take me to his room."

* * *

The room was sparse. Like the mech who lived in it. Megatron ran his digits along some dusty datapads. He didn't care to read what was on them.

He was doing exactly what terminus warned him not to do. Get emotionally attached.

"Emotional attachments are anchors. Your enemies will exploit those attachments, and they will force you to submit." Megatron said aloud, standing in the room.

"Sorry?" Astrotrain asked, sipping an engex cube.

"Just reciting something Terminus used to tell me." Megatron said. He turned and noticed what appeared to be a small symbol on the wall. He frowned, walking over to it.

It was very distinct. A purple face, pointed downward. Grinning.

"What is this?" Megatron asked.

Astrotrain shrugged. "Beats me. He collected art sometimes, could be an art piece."

Megatron took it off the wall. It was solid, metal. He ran his digits over it.

Then he placed it in his subspace.

"Thank you, Astrotrain." Megatron said. "I'll contact you if I need anything."

Astrotrain nodded. "You got it. Need anything transported lemme know. And uh...thanks."

Megatron looked back at him. "For?"

"Your words." Astrotrain said. "Some people like us, barely scraping by to live...that stuff you write really means a lot."

Megatron paused a moment, then turned around slowly. Remorse in his face.

"Words alone are a coward's way Astrotrain. I've been a coward and a fool." He looked at a ticket stub on the table.

It had an address printed across the stub. It was a ticket for some sort of fighting match. Odd. Terminus never seemed the gambling type. When he would even have time to gamble was a mystery.

Megatron took it and left the apartment, nodding to Astrotrain as he left.

Megatron stepped out into the street and the first thing he saw was a his own face on a multimedia screen, in front of the complex.

"Radical killed in failed rebellion." The headline read.

Below the headline, a picture of a young Megatron. His ID photo, he looked young, and was wearing his mining stickers.

ge was smiling. Life still felt bright for that young mech.

Megatron narrowed his optics. His face was out there now. That was bad. On the other hand, however, it seemed the senate believed him dead.

And being dead was one hell of an advantage.

He was suddenly gripped with a pain in his arm, and he turned to see a small beast creature, his teeth sunk into his arm metals.

"Away!" Megatron spat, hurling the creature off. It landed on its four feet and skidded, getting in a defensive position.

"Surrender any credits you have. Immediately." The creature hissed. "Do so now, or I will tear that arm off."

"Ravage!" A voice called from the shadows. "We are beggars, not thieves. Stop your foolishness this instant!"

Ravage hissed at Megatron, as he backed away, still trying to look ready to pounce.

"I have no credits to give, regardless." Megatron stated, wiping energon off the cuts in his arm.

"That's what they all say." Ravage hissed, retreating into the shadows.

Megatron gritted his teeth as he picked at the cuts. He had been through too much today. He wasn't going to take that. He needed something to take his building anger out on anyway. stomped into the shadows after the cat looking mech.

"Your days of attacking people are over." Megatron growled.

"Please." The voice that had called the cat off said. "Please silence your stomping, it is agonizing."

Megatron paused. "Who speaks?"

From the corner of the dark alleyway, a small radio transformed up, growing in size, to reveal a blue mech, with blue optics and severe facial scarring.

"I apologize for my friend. He is overzealous and aggressive. He is also cursed with a desperation that can bring the worst out in many. All I ask is that you leave him be, and that you please not stomp your pedes."

Megatron frowned. "I can stomp what I please."

"You may, yes." The mech said, grimacing, he seemed sickly. He had clearly been living on the street for some time. "I only ask that you lower your voice and cease your stomping as personal courtesy, but I suppose you do not owe me such."

There was a loud screeching as a monorail commuter train slowed down, then jetted by on railing overhead.

The mech let out a cry and collapsed to the ground, gripping his helm.

Megatron rushed to his side, trying to understand what was wrong. Ravage charged up to him.

"Hey! Get away from him!"

"I mean only to help." Megatron assured, putting up a hand.

The mech grimaced, his frame spasming. He looked up at Megatron.

"I apologize. I...have a problem."

"I should say so." Megatron replied. "What's wrong with your head?"

"I hear...everything." The mech replied, gripping his head. "The sounds of this city...everything...amplified...its agonizing."

"What is your name, friend?" Megatron asked.

"I am Soundwave." The mech replied, sitting back. "Forgive me for demanding you keep your voice down. It...it hurts."

Megatron nodded apologetically. "I'm sorry. Do you have a home?"

"No." Soundwave replied. "This alleyway has been my home. My friends keep me safe."

Megatron looked over at Ravage. "Friends?"

"He is one of a few." Soundwave said. "The others will be back soon I hope."

Megatron nodded to ravage, then looked around the alleyway.

"Well at least you have friends."

"Yes." Soundwave replied. He looked up, past Megatron. "If that billboard is any indication, you do not have many friends." He said.

Megatron's helm snapped back to Soundwave, optics narrowed.

"Don't worry. You'll find no friends of the senate here." Soundwave said, putting up a servo. "No need for hostility."

Megatron sighed. "Did you read my writings?"

"I'm afraid not." Soundwave replied. "But I've heard a thing or two. One of the benefits of hearing everything."

Megatron sat down next to him. "Did you take a stand against the government? Is that why you're here?"

Soundwave chuckled. "Stand? I can barely sit here without pain. No, I don't take a stand. I just take in the information, hear the problem...some nights I can even hear the local senator's...take in enough information and you can see just how broken and corrupt our society has become. And I know why." He said, looking to Megatron.

"Do tell." Megatron replied with a smirk.

"Primes." Soundwave said. A speeding vehicle drove by and Soundwave grimaced, grabbing at his audios until it passed. "These Primes...they hold absolute power. And people follow them, religiously almost. Nova, Nominus, now Sentinel...all have oppressed and committed crimes against cybertron and they are never held responsible because of their primacy."

Megatron put his servo on Soundwave's back.

"I like the way you think Soundwave. You could have written my entries for me."

Soundwave smiled. He turned to Megatron.

"Your voice is caring. More caring than most. But I hear something else. I hear pain. Fresh pain. What happened to you, Megatron? Why does the senate think you dead?"

Megatron sighed and thumbed the bridge of his nose.

"I lost just about everyone in my life two hours ago." He said. "My mentor, my friends...gunned down on the orders of Sentinel Prime." He spat out the mechs name, before standing up. "Sentinel Prime. He...he thinks he has finally silenced me. I will show him, Soundwave. I will show him what a mistake he's made by letting me survive."

Soundwave sensed that caring attitude vanish from Megatron's voice, replaced with darkness. A darkness that made the whole alley feel a little less bright.

But it did not frighten Soundwave. In fact, it made him feel...more whole. Stronger. He smiled.

"You have more courage than so many on this planet." Soundwave said. "Perhaps one day we will bring down a Prime together."

Megatron smiled. "One day, Soundwave. In the meantime there's an underground fight I wish to attend. I'll see you soon."

"One last thing Megatron. A warning." Soundwave said, standing up, some fear visible on his scarred face. "Many have challenged the senate and the Primes before. Openly and secretly. They have the power to make someone's life...very difficult. I just hope you know what you're getting in to."

Megatron turned to him and scoffed.

"Very difficult? Youve seen the billboards." He turned and walked away. "They cannot hurt a dead man."


	9. The Pit

Chapter 9-The Pit

Sentinel Prime rumbled through the halls of the Iacon Citadel, in his truck form. He headed for the senate chamber, where the senators of the planet gathered to do business.

It was a closed room to the public of course. After all, the public had no business in the day to day affairs of the senate.

Sentinel rolled into the room and transformed up.

"Sentinel Prime, report what happened on Messatine." A senator standing on a high podium asked.

Sentinel looked up. The mech addressing him was one of the longest tenured senators on Cybertron. A red, blue, and gold trimmed mech named Proteus.

And even Sentinel Prime knew his place, when it came to Senator Proteus.

"Senator Decimus has been slain. Murdered by the miners who took him hostage." Sentinel answered. "The kidnapping and execution was seemingly unprovoked, Decimus and his two guards were found dead."

"What of the miners?" Senator Momus asked.

"Most of them are dead as well." Sentinel replied. "Gunned down when they refused to move. They attempted to put on a sort of...demonstration." He said in a belittling tone. "The survivors are awaiting trial."

A senator cleared his throat, from the corner of the room. He was white and green, with a charming face, that looked very concerned with what he was hearing.

"Was that the only course of action deemed possible, Prime?" He asked. "There was no other way?"

Sentinel smirked, his faceplate sliding aside so he could sneer condescendingly at the senator.

"Senator Shockwave, have you ever been in a firefight?"

Shockwave looked down at his desk. "No."

"Of course not. Your science, after all, is so very important." Sentinel Prime mocked. "A wonder you even showed up today, I rarely see you in these chambers."

Shockwave smiled, deflecting away his rudeness. "Forgive me, Prime, my experiments at the institute often keep me busy. I merely wish to know whether there were other, nonviolent ways of dealing with this uprising."

Sentinel gave the mech a look that many bullies do when being questioned by an intellectual. "No." He snapped. "There were no other options. Satisfied?"

"Don't mind Senator Shockwave." Proteus drawled. "He simply doesn't come here often enough to understand the threats to this senate. Do tell, what of this writer? Ugh...Megatron was it? He was on Messatine was he not?"

Sentinel nodded, his features turning upward into a smirk.

"Megatron is dead." He declared.

There seemed to be a collective sigh of relief from the entire senate. All save for one.

Shockwave kept his helm down, drawing little attention to himself as he sent a discreet text.

* * *

Megatron walked down a ladder, and changed form, rumbling down a drainage tube, his tank treads splashing across used up energon. He had the ticket in his subspace.

This place was violent, an underground world of brutality and blood sport. Gladiators, fighting to the death, or close to it.

Megatron had heard stories of these places. They were most famous here, in Kaon. And despite attempts by the police to crack down on these illegal matches, they didn't seem to be going away.

Megatron rumbled down an underground hallway, hearing chanting, shouting, the sounds of a crowd.

He didn't know quite what he was doing. He had a head full of rage, but he wasn't sure what he would find in this place.

Would he be allowed to compete? Would he have to fight his way in? Did he even want to?

He arrived in what looked like a little underground arena, and transformed up.

His optics narrowed as he heard the sounds of the crowd.

There was a fight going on right now. He could feel the arena shaking as bodies hit the floor and blows were landed.

The place was makeshift. The stands looked like they'd been thrown together, and it seemed most of the effort had gone into designing the pit itself. A powerful light bathed the pit in brightness, but kept most of the stands more shadowy. Like theatre.

The champion. The challenger. The conflict. And the spotlight.

And lots and lots of spilled energon.

He walked up, and looked down into the pit.

A large mech, blue with purple and white parts, stood, glaring at two other mechs with malice in his optics.

The two other mechs were significantly smaller. Twins, one red, the other yellow. They looked like hot shots, and didn't seem to be taking the fight too seriously.

Which was good because they were getting their afts kicked.

"Finish em Overlord!" A little gold mech shouted next to Megatron.

"Which one is Overlord?" Megatron asked.

The mech, who had purple visor flaps over his optics, looked up at him in surprise.

"Which one do ya think?"

The yellow mech got slammed against the wall of the pit. He turned, and wiped off his energon, jumping on Overlord's massive frame.

"And the two twin?" Megatron asked.

"They're new." The gold mech said. "The yellow ones Sunstreaker and the red ones Sideswipe. And boy, they're getting their afts handed to em. More money for me."

Megatron looked down at the pit, and watched as Overlord lifted up Sideswipe, punched him in the face once with his massive fists, then hurled him out of the pit.

He came crashing into the stands, bumping against a group of mechs. He grimaced, wiping some energon off a clearly broken nose, and then jumped back into the pit to help his brother. The interrupted group of mechs cursed the young hotshot as he left without even bothering to apologize. He had a fight to lose, after all.

"They certainly lack a sense of self preservation, don't they?" Megatron asked, though the gold mech was no longer listening.

Overlord grabbed both mechs, picking them up and slamming them against each other. They dropped to the pit floor. Sideswipe put up his arm, judging by the disappointing sound of the crowd, it was the gesture of surrender.

"What are you doing?!" Sunstreaker demanded.

"We aren't winning this!" Sideswipe argued. "Enough!"

Sunstreaker shook his helm. "I got this, I got..."

Another punch, sent him crashing against the pit, breaking off some yellow armor from

His arm. He sighed.

And he too, put his arm up. The crowd began to boo and Overlord put up both of his arms, reveling in his latest victory.

"18 STRAIGHT VICTORIES FOR OUR CHAMPION, OVERLORD!" The announced boomed.

Overlord let out a bellowing laugh of triumph, and walked over to the announcer. "Does that not count as two victories?" He asked, glaring at the defeated looking twins. "I should have 19 straight!"

Megatron stood up, and handed the purple face symbol from Terminus' apartment to the gold mech. It wasn't an easy thing to do. But he looked like a gambler and Megatron needed the motivation.

"What is this?" The mech asked.

"It's an art piece. It's supposedly of value. You're going to put it down as your bet." He said, standing up.

"My bet?" The mech asked.

"Yes. You're going to bet on me." Megatron said. "I can defeat this loud fool."

The mech looked down at the priceless artifact and shrugged.

"There ain't a bet in the world that Swindle shies away from." He said, heading toward the podium to lay his bet.

Megatron quielty snickered at the fact that a mech named Swindle was allowed to make bets. He walked up to the announcer.

"I'm challenging." He said simply.

The mech who was announcing cocked his helm to the side. He had a single optic, and. I face, clearly a victim of Empurata, discrimination by functionist cults.

He looked down at his datapad.

"You aren't on the list." He said.

"I care not." Megatron replied. "I wish to fight."

"If you're not on the list, you don't fight." The mech warned.

"Nonsense!" Overlord bellowed, walking over, glaring down at the smaller Megatron. "Let the fool take his desired beating!"

The announcer didn't have to be told twice, he was as terrified of Overlord as anyone, even the arena owner.

"And we appear to have a late entry! One more challenger for Overlord's crown!" The announcer declared into the microphone.

Megatron climbed over the gate and dropped down in the pit. The crowd seemed to pick up energy again.

Overlord smirked. "Just get off work, miner?" He asked, gesturing to his frame. "You're not built for combat."

Megatron let out a sigh and looked aside, already tiring of the mech.

"Do you care to fight or do you care to debate? I can best you at both."

Overlord smirked. "Very well."

He started walking toward him, then broke into a charge, arms out.

Megatron ducked down, and slammed his fist into his midsection, taking the air out of his vents. Overlord let out a surprised cough.

Then megatron began hitting him over and over in the midsection, his fists pounding against the big mech's lower armor and energon tanks.

Overlord lashed out, and scored a hard hit to the mechs helm, but Megatron didn't seem to feel it. Overlord wasn't done. He punched him in the face, then kicked him in the chest, picked him up, and hurled him across the pit.

The throw sent Megatron skittering across the arena floor.

The crowd cheered. Twenty wins in a row would be quite an achievement to witness.

Megatron slowly got to his pedes, grinning as he wiped energon from his nose.

"Your movement is stiff." He stated.

"Oh? I don't seem to be having a problem." Overlord replied arrogantly.

"Your punches are hard. Which would be even more effective. If you weren't so stiff." Megatron continued.

"If you didn't have that thick dome, I'd have beaten you already." Overlord snapped back.

Megatron grinned at the large mech. Then he shrugged. He put his hands up and lifted off his helmet, placing it on the ground. And he put up his fists.

"Now finish me, 'champion.'"

The crowd seemed to get even crazier, as Megatron stood, his bare wiry helm exposed, his fists raised confidently.

Overlord let out a roar and swung at him.

Megatron ducked his stiff arm, and then punched him, directly in the arm joint, causing him to cry out in pain. He punched him there once more, to reinforce the pain.

Then he scored two hard punches to the mechs face. Overlord swung again, putting his full weight behind his fist. Losing all of his balance in the process.

Megatron dodged, and grabbed the back of his frame, using the large mechs momentum, he pushed him forward, shoving his face against the arena wall at full punching velocity.

The crowd gasped in shock, and Swindle let out a giggle of excitement.

Overlord turned around, energon streaking down his optics and nasal, making it hard to see. He desperately rubbed energon aside.

"Put up your arm." Megatron said. It wasn't a suggestion. It sounded like a command.

"This pit is mine!" Overlord shouted, brushing him off.

"Fool. Now I will break you. Then still take it from you." Megatron snarled, still grinning at the big mech.

He jumped up, grabbing Overlord's throat. He came back down, dodged a blind, desperate swipe, planted his pedes against the floor, then lifted the large mech up, shocking the entire crowd, and Overlord himself.

He held him up there for a moment, then slammed him against the floor of the pit hard enough to crack some of his armor.

Overlord rolled over and received a kick to the face.

Then Megatron plunged his knee against Overlord's chest, and began punching his helm, over and over, cracking it, causing one of the mechs optics to fizzle out.

"Put up your arm." Megatron repeated sternly.

Overlord let out a sorrowful moan of rage and sadness. Then he raised his one functional arm above his helm, and the crowd went crazy.

Megatron nodded, standing up off of him, smirking in satisfaction. All that rage, had finally been put somewhere. His body ached but that had been worth it. He walked over and placed his helmet back on his head, noticing Swindle losing his mind in the stands.

"Who is this new champion?!" The announcer demanded, as Megatron picked up the very large bag of shanix that had been destined for Overlord. "Introduce yourself!"

He looked up again at a now waving Swindle, who tossed him the purple face insignia that he had given him to gamble.

Megatron snatched it out of the air.

Then he placed the insignia on his chest. It stuck there, triumphantly.

He leaned over the microphone, his red optics looking up at the crowd that was watching.

"I am Megatron." He declared, looking at the arena around him and gesturing to it. "And this is my pit now."


	10. Loyalty

Chapter 10-Loyalty

Orion Pax frowned as he received a text. He was at his desk in the police station, butstood up, looking at the message.

It was from Shockwave.

Senator Shockwave had been quite an ally to Pax over the last few years, having bailed him out of some trouble he'd gotten in with the senate. Since then, Pax had become close friends with the senator. Shockwave saw potential in the naive young policeman, and Pax saw brilliance and a surprising amount of compassion from the senator.

The text from Shockwave was a simple one.

"Body." It stated.

Pax looked at it, then sent a text to Prowl.

"Morgue."

Orion took the lift down to the morgue, and found a visibly shaken Prowl waiting for him.

"Prowl, I'm sorry about..." Pax began.

Prowl but up a servo. "Don't. It's...just...I've just witnessed quite a lot of..." he trailed off, and covered his optics with his hands. "I think I killed about 25."

Pax put his hand on the smaller mech's shoulder.

"It wasn't you, Prowl. Sentinel Prime gave you the order. Look at me."

Prowl looked up at Pax.

"It's not your fault." Orion stated.

Prowl nodded, not looking convinced at all.

"Now. I need to see Megatron's body." Pax said. "Do you know where it is?"

Prowl gestured. "Follow me."

They walked toward a back hallway, and a black coffin, lined up next to several others.

Most were unmarked, but one had hazard tape on it, and had been marked as containing the body of a suspect in a crime.

He walked all the way to the end, and opened the coffin.

"This is it." He said.

Pax looked into the coffin, and frowned.

He was staring at the corpse of a miner. But this miner looked elderly.

"Prowl, take a look. You were given the files on Megatron. Does that look like him?"

Prowl peered into the coffin and cocked his helm to the side. Then his optics widened.

"No. That's...that's the guy I was trying to talk down. I don't know his name, but he's far too old to be Megatron."

Orion turned and opened his comm link. Then he paused. Audio could be tracked. He switched to text, and sent a simple text to Shockwave.

"No Megatron."

He turned to Prowl, who still looked downtrodden.

"We'll make this right, Prowl." Orion said. "I promise." He looked around at the coffins around them.

His young, upbeat tone darkened a little.

"Sentinel won't get away with this."

Less than a minute after his text, Pax's messenger buzzed. He looked down at the tiny screen. Another short, but very concisetext from Shockwave.

"Find Megatron. Quietly."

* * *

Megatron walked through an alleyway, looking around curiously. Looking for a mech he couldn't find.

These alleyways were almost like a jungle. Organized chaos, boxes and debris all around, keeping anyone unfamiliar from ever truly getting comfortable.

Megatron was certainly feeling uncomfortable.

Until he heard tiny servos pad up to him.

He spun around to see Ravage.

"Looking for Soundwave?" Ravage asked.

Megatron nodded.

Ravage gestured with his helm. "Follow."

It was a short journey, toward a different section of a different alleyway. Megatron found Soundwave sitting on the ground, farther away from the train tracks this time.

"Greetings again, Megatron." Soundwave said.

"MEGATRON?!" A voice exclaimed.

Soundwave grabbed his audios in agony as a red and black minibot ran up to Megatron.

"Rumble." Megatron said with a smirk. "So this is where you ended up?" He asked, shaking the little mechs servo.

"Yeah. Beats mining. Sometimes people give money. Sometimes even energon. Soundwave's chest is a great place to catch some z's. Can't complain."

"Perhaps lower your voice slightly, rumble."

"Yeah why you hurtin the bosses audios?" A second minibot asked. He looked identical to Rumble, with a light blue paint job.

"Can it Frenzy, it's a friend from work!" Rumble snapped.

"Please quieter..." Soundwave begged, his audios burning.

"Silence, both of you." Ravage hissed.

Megatron pulled out a package he'd been carrying on his back.

"I fought in the Pit." He declared.

"You're not dead, and you don't appear broken. Both are good signs." Soundwave acknowledged.

"I made quite a bit of money from it." Megatron added. "Enough to have something custom built by a local blacksmith."

He opened the package slowly, presenting what was inside to Soundwave.

Soundwave frowned, as he looked down at the contents. He tilted it around, examining it closely.

"A head?" He asked. "What is this?"

Megatron lifted it out of the box. It did indeed look like a cybertronian head.

It was blue. With a silver faceplate and red visor.

"This is no head. It is a helmet." Megatron said proudlyZ

"A helmet?" Soundwave asked, sounding almost offended. "I do not hide my scars, Megatron. I am no coward."

"I never called you one. And I care not for scars." Megatron replied. "This helmet is not about petty cosmetic concerns. Put it on."

Soundwave looked up at him, then down at the helmet.

A metal bird swooped down and landed next to the three other minibots, watching silently.

Soundwave turned the helmet over and looked into it with suspicion. Then he lifted it over his head, and slowly lowered it into place.

He listened as the agonizing roar of the city around him evaporated, as the helmet slid past his audios, and clicked into place.

He let out a gasp. Megatron smirked.

Soundwave grabbed at the sides of the helmet.

And he slowly got to his feet, staring at Megatron through the red visor.

"The noise..." he said, quietly. "The deafening, agonizing noise..." he grabbed a knob on the side of the helmet, and twisted it upward. The volume of life around him raised, then lowered as he twisted it downward. "The pain is...is gone! How you make this?" Soundwave asked, his voice sounding slightly more metallic under the helmet. Even the metallic sound couldn't hide his joy.

"I did not. I commissioned a blacksmith, anonymously. It turns out your condition isn't terribly uncommon. But few can afford treatment." Megatron clarified.

Soundwave hands shook. "You've...you've given me a debt I can never repay..." He looked up at Megatron. "I do not deserve the kindness you have given me. What can I ever do to repay you?"

Megatron smiled warmly, but there was an edge to his smile.

"I want you, Soundwave. Your skills. Your loyalty. For years I've used words as my warriors, in my writings. But words are not enough. I need actual warriors now."

Soundwave looked down at his minions, then up at the sky. The sun glinting off his red visor.

A train roared by. Painlessly.

"I am no warrior. But your words, and your cause are just. And I have little to lose, living in shanties. So I shall serve you, Megatron." Soundwave said. He continued fiddling with the helmet, marveling at the control it provided.

Megatron smiled, placing a servo on his shoulder. "Thank you Soundwave."

"You have spared my master a life of agony." Ravage said, uncoiling out of the shadows. "And as I go where he goes, I too shall serve you, stranger."

"I'm in." Rumble muttered. "Better than living in alleyways or mining."

"Eh. I guess." Frenzy agreed. "I'm not in it to get into trouble."

"Then this is likely not the cause for you." Megatron warned. "I intend to bring down an entire system. One way or another, we are going to run into trouble."

Frenzy grimaced at his tone. He looked at Rumble, then at Soundwave.

"Well slag. I guess I can handle some trouble. I'm in."

Megatron nodded. "The Pit. It is my new base of operations. Report there as soon as possible." He commanded.

He turned to walk away.

Soundwave sat back down, and turned the volume on his helmet down to zero.

Silence. The most beautiful sound he had never heard. He began to weep silently under the helmet as he reveled in the sound of nothing at all.


	11. Decepticons

Chapter 11-Decepticons

The hallways of the Citadel in Iacon were silent.

It was very late, when Sentinel Prime, head slumped down, walked into the office of Senator Proteus.

"Come in." Proteus said politely.

The Prime did so, walking in through the door, which slid shut behind him.

"Sit, Prime." Proteus said, pointing to a chair.

Prime shuffled uncomfortably over and did so.

"I saw on the news that Megatron was killed on Messatine."

Sentinel frowned under his faceplate.

"I delivered my findings to you in the senate chambers just yesterday..." He said in a confused tone.

"Oh I know. And I already knew. But I saw it on the news." He stood up from his desk, and adjusted a plaque on the wall.

Then he grabbed it and hurled it at Sentinel. It doinked off the mech's helm.

"THE NEWS! It's public! Megatron is dead and the world knows it!"

Sentinel was grimacing. "Yeah..."

"When I had you interrogate him, before his transfer, what was the one instruction I gave you?"

Sentinel pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed.

"WHAT WAS IT?!"

"Not to make him...a martyr." Sentinel stated.

"And now that the entire world knows of his death, killed by us no less...WHAT DOES THAT MAKE HIM, IN THE MINDS OF HIS DELUDED READERS?!"

Sentinel let out another tense sigh.

"A Martyr."

"Exactly. Great job Prime. You did the opposite of what I wanted you to. The opposite of what was really your only instruction. No executions. No killings. No martyrdom. You blew all three. You thick headed..."

"I'm not going to take this." Sentinel said, standing up. He turned to the door.

"Sit. Down." Proteus commanded. "I'm not finished with you. Do I have to remind you of your place. Out there you're the Prime, but in here you are mine, Sentinel. You earn money from me, and you work for my senate." He snapped. "You have a problem with that, and you'll learn just how easily I can tear the Primacy away from you."

"I already know." Sentinel replied, gritting his teeth under his faceplate.

"Good. We should have no trouble them. You don't want to go the way of Nominus after all." Proteus sneered. "Now go. If we get any insurgents acting in that dead idiots name, you put them down, understood? It's your direct responsibility now."

Sentinel nodded, standing up. He turned and stormed out of the room, leaving an irritated but satisfied looking Proteus behind him.

* * *

Clench walked down a sewer tunnel, opening a hatch and slipping into his underground arena.

He had managed this place for a long time, and he had seen many things in his time. But the display of savagery Megatron had shown him a few nights earlier was something he'd never seen.

For a long time, it felt as though Overlord, the massive brawler with a severe inferiority complex, would rule this pit.

Megatron had overthrown him, and Clench secretly worried.

Megatron was different. So many idiot brawlers had come through, shouting empty nothings and hitting each other. Megatron was different.

He was an intellectual. He sounded like a smarter mech. And he was. He read. He wrote. He spoke.

In fact, as Clench walked through the halls, the mechs voice floated into his audios.

He was speaking right now.

Clench turned the corner, into the pit to find Megatron standing in the middle of it.

"Now raise your hands. How many of you have been turned down for a job you applied for, due to your alt mode?" Megatron asked.

Several mechs stood around him. Soundwave, and his minibots stood next to Megatron, looking almost like a security detail.

And on the other side, Swindle, and a series of other brawlers. Many of them raised their hands.

Megatron nodded. He pointed to one.

"It's Deluge, right?" He asked.

The silver and blue mech nodded, smiling nervously.

"Um yes...sir." Deluge said. "I umm...I applied to the cybertronian science division. And they uh...they denied my request. I turn into a high speed race car...they told me I didn't have the patience for science."

Megatron frowned. "But I've seen your work, Deluge. You build things, remarkable things."

Deluge nodded. Megatron walked towards him and put a servo on his shoulder.

Then he looked at the others.

"So why, pray tell? Why would he be rejected? Because he turns into an alt mode that doesn't fit into their narrow world view?" He turned and stepped back to the center. "Is there something about a race car conducting experiments, that frightens them?! They hold you back, Deluge, they hold all of us back, because the functionists want us in our place. When we are in our place, we are less likely to resist, to rebel. We are less like to look out the window and realize how much of life we are missing." He looked at the group of mechs.

Swindle. Deluge. Octane. Vortex. Breakdown. Astrotrain stood in the background. It was only a handful, but they were passionate, and they hung on the mechs every word. As did the minions, Rumble, Frenzy, Ravage and Laserbeak who stood by his side.

Clench cleared his throat.

Megatron ignored him and continued. "If we haven't experience life in the shoes of those higher or lower than us, why would we ever bother to? This is what these corrupt senators, and this foul Prime count on!"

"Megatron!" Clench snapped.

Megatron looked up at him and Ravage let out a low growl.

"Is there something you need, Clench?" Megatron asked politely.

"Yes. The pit doesn't open for another hour. The arena is closed." Clench stated.

"This isn't a fight." Megatron stated. "That comes later. I am merely addressing my followers."

"Followers?" Clench asked. "You can talk to your fans later, right now I want you in your quarters getting ready for the fight, I've got a seeker taking you on tonight."

Megatron gave him an almost amused look.

Then he turned to the others.

"Everyone take a badge. Only one, I couldn't replicate many, so I suggest you not misplace them."

The mechs eagerly came up, each grabbing a purple badge that matched the face on Megatron's chest.

"Are you hearing me?!" Clench demanded. "Get to your room!"

"You know..." Megatron climbed up out of the pit, and started walking toward the smaller Clench. "I swore weeks ago, in the mines, that I would never be told what to do ever again. Not by the government. Not by a Prime. Not by anyone. And least of all slimy little mechs like you. You want to profit off the beatings I hand down, you will do so silently, and patiently, with minimal fuss. ARE WE CLEAR?!"

The red in Megatron's optics seemed to twinkle as he got angrier.

Clench sighed. The other bots in the pit were staring at him with amusement.

This was a spot where he had to put his foot down, and exert dominance over what was happening in his arena.

But this was Megatron. And he towered over Clench. Fear gripped the mechs spark and he had no choice.

"Ok. Do what you want."

"Poor poor Clench." Swindle teased. "I thought you were a tough guy! I thought you were in charge!"

Clench gritted his teeth in anger. "Slagging glitch rat..."

"Silence Swindle." Megatron barked, walking back to the pit. "I must prepare for my next opponent." He paused as he turned down the tunnel, and took one look down at them.

"Be loud for me tonight...Decepticons."

* * *

They were. Very loud in fact.

As Megatron entered the arena, chants of his name filled the place. He looked up at the crowds, and then at his personal group of purple badge wearing followers.

He smirked up at them, then turned as a seeker jumped into the pit.

"Introducing tonight's challenger!" The single optic mech announced. "Skywarp!"

The black and purple painted seeker looked angry. He stormed up to Megatron, optics narrowed.

"This is personal, you spawn of a glitch." He said, prodding Megatron in the chest with his metal finger.

Megatron arched an optic ridge, unfazed by the prod. "Do I know you?"

"No. But my brother did. Read your damn writings, and it got him locked up. I'm gonna give you the beating of your life, and I'm gonna do it for him."

Megatron rolled his optics. "THAT is your motivation? That is why you come down here, and challenge me? Why you risk your frame and your health, and your life? I can already see you are a petty, toxic fool."

Skywarp gritted his teeth.

"HOW DARE YOU?!" He swung a fist at the mech, and Megatron took the punch, trying to get an idea of how hard the seeker punched.

It was an impressive punch.

"Thundercracker rusts in prison because of your stupid crusade." Skywarp snarled. "How dare you belittle his sacrifice?!"

"I do not belittle your brother." Megatron replied, putting up his fist. "I belittle your lack of commitment to him."

Skywarp let out a roar and suddenly he was gone.

There was a purple flash and he vanished.

Megatron frowned. He looked around.

A flash behind him, and Skywarp stomped down on the back of his leg. Megatron let out a cry as he dropped to one knee.

He turned around and received a kick to the face.

"You know nothing of me. Or my brother." Skywarp snarled.

Megatron chuckled. He stood up slowly.

"You were in the primal vanguard. One of the finest fliers of your squadron. You were written up repeatedly for acts against your commanding officers and eventually, they gave you the boot." He dodged a swipe from a Skywarp who seemed to get angrier with every word.

"You don't know...how do you...?" Skywarp shook his helm. "Slag this, I'm gonna kill you!" He shouted, swiping again.

"Your brother took the fall for your actions time and time again. He was booted from the vanguard before you." Megatron said. "Trust me Skywarp, when I put someone in consideration, I do my homework first."

Skywarp paused, venting hard. "Consideration? For what?"

Megatron smirked. Then he punched Skywarp across the face, once, twice, and picked him up, hurling him across the pit.

"You let your guard down." The ex miner stated, walking towards the surprised, wounded seeker. "Easily distracted."

Skywarp vanished.

He appeared next to Megatron, punching him in the side of the helmet.

As Megatron tried to hit him, he teleported again.

"Clearly an outlier. Interesting." Megatron pondered. "That wasn't in your file."

Skywarp appeared above him, and came down hard on Megatron's helmet, slamming the miner against the floor of the pit.

"You let your guard down." Skywarp mocked. "Easily distracted."

Megatron grinned. Then he kicked out, sending Skywarp slamming against the edge of the pit.

Megatron jumped to his feet, and Skywarp teleported away again.

Megatron let out a sigh. And closed his optics.

"I tire of this."

He waited, and listened. And heard a loud vop.

Skywarp appeared behind him. He charged at the mech.

And Megatron turned and grabbed him by the throat.

"Ech!" Skywarp choked, as Megatron squeezed down, then began punching him mercilessly.

Energon was spraying around the arena as Megatron beat down on the seeker, shearing off metals. Skywarp was being bludgeoned so hard he couldn't even manage the willpower needed to teleport away.

Megatron slammed him against the ground then lifted him up again. A show of dominance.

"Put up your arm." He commanded.

Skywarp let out a hiccup, and coughed out some energon. He glared into Megatron's optics angrily.

Then he put up his arm.

The crowd went wild but Megatron blocked it out.

"Do you wish to take your frustrations over your brother out on me? Or would you rather join me, and see your brother again?"

Skywarp collapsed to the floor. He continued coughing up energon. He slumped down on the cold metal. He was shaking with rage, and yet he was smiling. He came into a sitting position, hearing the decepticon section start to chant.

"ALL HAIL MEGATRON! ALL HAIL MEGATRON!"

Skywarp spit out some energon and looked up at Megatron, one of his optics cracked and flickering from the beating.

"When do we start?"


	12. Starscream

Chapter 12-Starscream

Megatron sat in his quarters, looking down at the symbol on his chest.

What did it mean? What was it supposed to mean? What were the Decepticons truly capable of?

For now, they were an angry group of brawlers, thieves, believers.

But when the time came, would they have the nerve? Would they be able to look the senate, and all their forces in the optics, and defy them?

Megatron did not know. In truth, he was still debating whether he himself could.

Fighting single opponents was nothing. Taking on a Prime? Something else entirely.

"Megatron." Soundwave said from the doorway. "You have a visitor. He wishes to speak with you."

"I'm unavailable." Megatron said.

"He's...very persistent." Soundwave stated.

Megatron sighed, standing up off his recharge slab and stepping out of the room.

A seeker was waiting for him.

White, with red and blue. A confident smirk on his face.

Megatron hated his face before he even opened his mouth.

"I am air commander Starscream, my idiot brother recently joined your little...rogues gallery?"

In the corner, Skywarp, now wearing a decepticon badge, edged towards the shadows, and covered his face with his hand out of embarrassment.

Megatron didn't respond so after an awkward moment, Starscream continued.

"I've heard about you and your cause, and I've seen your brawlers. And while you certainly do seem to be trying...you could use a true warrior. I hereby volunteer my services!" He declared, closing his optics and bowing.

Megatron still said nothing.

Starscream cleared his throat. "I more than qualify for..."

"No." Megatron stated.

Starscream cocked his helm to the side.

"Pardon?"

"No." Megatron repeated. "Thank you for the offer. Good day." He turned back towards his room.

Starscream gritted his teeth and let out an angry whine, then stepped forward, and slid in front of Megatron's doorway.

"I urge you to reconsider. After all I am a sky commander..."

"Were." Megatron stated.

Starscream looked down at the floor and say that again.

"Sorry?"

"You WERE sky commander. You are currently unemployed. Considering your abilities, it is either because of a lack of work ethic, motivation, or perhaps some sort of debilitating injury. But you seem perfectly healthy to me, so I will assume it is the former, and bid you good day."

Starscream's optics lit up in anger.

He reached out and slapped Megatron across the face, knocking him back a step.

The Decepticons in the room stepped forward, fists clenched but Megatron put up a servo.

He turned and his optics locked with Starscream.

"You come into my home, my pit, and strike me? Such nerve, Starscream." He touched his face with his servo, feeling where Starscream had hit him.

"Such disrespect."

He paused a moment, as though thinking over his next move, then lashed out, striking Starscream in the face.

Starscream let out a gasp of surprise as his nasal ridge buckled from the force of the impact.

Megatron reached forward, and grabbed the seeker's helm in his hands, and began to squeeze.

"Megatron! I apologize for..." Starscream began.

Megatron turned and slammed his head against the wall. Starscream dropped.

"Apologize? Now you sound like a coward. I thought you were a warrior!" Megatron taunted, dragging Starscream down the hall by his foot.

The seeker wasn't even fighting back, the blow to the head had him dazed.

Megatron reached the Pit itself. Then he lifted Starscream up, and hurled him into it.

Starscream let out a cry as he flew through the air and came crashing down in the center.

Megatron jumped down, loathing in his optics.

"You do not ask to be a decepticon, Starscream. You earn it. It doesn't matter what you were before today, you earn this badge here, in this Pit!" He kicked Starscream in the side. "You had the audacity to strike me, surely you have the will to at least put up a fight!" He kicked Starscream again, shearing off some metal fragments. "COME NOW SKY COMMANDER, SHOW ME WHAT A WARRIOR YOU ARE!"

Starscream let out a cry of anger and forced himself to his feet.

"You dare belittle me? You dare talk down to me?! I've been in the primal vanguard since I was forged, you are a temperamental miner!"

Megatron grabbed him by the throat and slammed him down, them kicked him under his pointy chin.

"And yet here I am, dominating you." He hissed, slamming his foot down on Starscream's head.

Starscream let out an angry moan. "You...will not beat me!"

The Decepticons had gathered in the otherwise empty arena.

"ALL HAIL MEGATRON, ALL HAIL MEGATRON, ALL HAIL MEGATRON!" They chanted.

Starscream glared angrily up at them, then shoved Megatron off and stood up again, putting up his fists.

"Every face you see has earned the right to wear this." Megatron said, pointing to his badge. "Go on then, Sky commander. EARN IT!"

Starscream punched Megatron across the face, knocking him back. He let out a cry as he leapt at the stunned leader, and began a flurry of punches, on his helm, face, tanks, anything he could hit.

Megatron managed a smirk even as the fists pounded his frame.

"I was trained by the best. I became the best." Starscream declared, shoving Megatron back against the wall of the pit. "I am still the best." He said with an arrogant, proud smirk.

Megatron let out a long, pained laugh as spit out some energon.

"Then why did they kick you out?"

Starscream's smirk vanished, and rage came to his face again. He swung at Megatron, but this time, the miner was ready.

He grabbed the seeker's arm, and tore it off, metal shard and ruined wiring went flying through the air.

Starscream let out a cry of shock, staring at the place where his appendage had been a moment ago.

Megatron turned and began beating him with his own arm, over and over.

"You might have had me, Starscream!" Megatron shouted gleefully, bringing the severed arm down on him again and again. "You lost focus. Became too caught up in your own ego. I sense this is something that has plagued you all your life."

Starscream fell down, and put up a hand to protect himself from the hits. "Please...stop..."

"You think because you landed some punches you have earned a place here?!" Megatron asked. "You didn't finish what you started."

Starscream was practically crying, his frame going numb from all the hits.

"So earn it then, Starscream!" Megatron shouted, tossing the arm aside, and kicking the seeker in the chest, causing him to roll. "EARN IT!"

Starscream let out a cry, and raised his one remaining arm as he came out of his roll.

A null ray deployed from the side of it. Without even thinking, he fired.

Megatron was hit in the chest, and blasted back.

Starscream paused a moment, taking a long vent as the Decepticons above went silent.

Shocked silence, and the decepticons began to look at one another. Had their new savior fallen? Had so many words been silenced by such a dull weapon?

Starscream stood up slowly, and began to laugh.

"Your precious leader, felled by my null ray!" He shouted, looking up at the stunned crowd. "As victor, I hereby replace Megatron as leader of the..."

There was a stirring, as Megatron rolled over, in his spot in the corner of the pit, and stood up, his red optics seeming to burn extra bright. Smoke pouring from his chest.

Starscream's optics widened.

"But I...but you...I shot you!" Starscream shouted.

Megatron stepped forward, grabbed Starscream's audio, and crushed one of the vents in his head.

Starscream grimaced in pain, and Megatron lifted him up, by the audio.

"You think I am so easily beaten?" Megatron asked.

"I...I..." Starscream whimpered.

"Your demeanor, and your arrogance are quite annoying, Starscream. But...you have put up more of a fight than many I have faced."

Starscream began to smile, then Megatron hurled him against the ground, and planted his foot on the seeker's chest, pinning him down.

"You will earn a spot on the Decepticons, if you accept one unshakeable truth." He leaned down, coming face to face with the seeker. "I am in charge. You will do as I say, and any challenge to my authority will be met with me putting you, quite violently, in your place. I'll do it as many times as I must, and I assure you, I can make it far more painful than this."

Starscream nodded. "I accept, I accept!"

"Now repeat after me." The triumphant leader spat. "All. Hail. Megatron."

Starscream let out a vent of panic.

"All hail Megatron."

"Louder." 

"All hail Megatron!"

Megatron stomped down on his chest.

"LOUDER!" 

"ALL HAIL MEGATRON!" Starscream screeched.

Megatron smiled, satisfied. He lifted himself off of the mech.

"Skywarp, take your twin to a clinic, he looks like he may need some medical attention."

Skywarp, who looked amused by the beating Starscream had just received, hopped down into the pit. "Yes Megatron."

Megatron lifted himself out of the pit, grinning.

A warrior from the primal vanguard. This small gang had just gotten a boost, even if that boost whined, and was already annoying everyone.


	13. Purpose

Chapter 13-Purpose

The Kaon armory was an ancient warehouse, one of the oldest buildings in the city. It was a striking building, easily identifiable for its rusty exterior and ridged design.

It had a massive spaceport where cargo ships docked and disembarked, spreading weapons to cybertronians on colonies and other worlds.

And dispersing them amongst law enforcement, and the senate forces.

At the moment, a shuttle was approaching the armory. It was night, and rain was pouring as the shuttle twisted and struggled in the winds.

The bay door slid open, and the shuttle slid inside.

"Shuttle Alpha Delta, head for docking bay 3." The foreman commanded.

The shuttle glided in, then turned and slid into the bay, and a pair of heavily armed mechs, and the green foreman made their way towards it.

"Alright I got a light load for you tonight..." the foreman said, walking over with a datapad.

The ramp lowered and a group of shady figures walked out.

The one leading them was a blue and green mech. Vortex. Behind him, an excited looking Swindle, and an irritated looking, and still dented Starscream.

The foreman frowned, eyeing all three mechs suspiciously.

"Are you guys new hires?" He asked.

"Sort of." Vortex replied. He looked behind him. Then he ducked down.

Swindle grabbed his helicopter blades, climbing over the mech's back, and jumping onto one of the two guards.

The guard didn't have time to react, and Swindle landed on his head, wrapping around it, and dropping him down to the floor hard.

The foreman reached for his pistol, but Vortex lashed out, punching him in the face, and ripping the gun out of his hand.

"What the hell are you..." Vortex head butted the mech before he could finish, knocking him out.

"Idiots." Starscream muttered. As the third guard reached for his gun, Starscream raised his null ray on his newly rebuilt arm and blasted the mech in the chest.

He was blasted off his feet, and sent skittering back toward a series of weapons crates.

"Wasting time with fists when a laser blast can do the work for you." Starscream crooned, staring with amusement at the other two Decepticons.

Swindle frowned. "Didn't Megatron say..."

"Say no unnecessary casualties, I certainly did." Megatron's metallic voice replied.

He stepped down slowly from the ramp. His optics glared like daggers at Starscream.

"Perhaps I was unclear, Starscream." He stepped forward. "Or perhaps you are making a passive aggressive attempt at insubordination. Might I remind you my first instinct was to reject you from the Decepticons. It is a privilege that can be taken away at any time."

"Of course, Megatron, I apologize." Starscream said, grimacing as he looked over at the guard, who started groaning.

"He seems to be...alive at least." The seeker said with a nervous chuckle.

Megatron's glare did not waver. Soundwave stepped out behind him.

"Decepticons, load Astrotrain with as many weapon crates as he can take." The mech finally commanded.

Skywarp and Octane joined the others, carrying crates from the armory back to the shuttle.

Megatron stood next to the railing, looking down at the crates.

Soundwave stood next to him.

"So this is it then?" The decepticon asked. "War with the senate starts today, yes?"

Megatron sighed.

"I am open to peaceful solutions Soundwave, I am not a war monger." He paused, looking down at his servos. "I wish my words...my speech, was enough to change the world. I truly do." His features darkened. "But my words are dismissed, buried...so I must change the world by force." He looked to Soundwave, optics linking with his visor.

"Does this bother you?"

Soundwave was silent a moment.

"I believe the decepticon dream is one worth dying for." He stated. "It...may take me some time to come to terms with the idea that it is worth killing for."

Megatron smiled. He patted Soundwave on the shoulder.

"It's not about killing, my friend. It is about who dies." He said, darkness clouding his voice once again. "I only seek one death for my spark to find peace."

Soundwave nodded. "The Prime?"

Megatron seemed to grimace at just hearing the word.

"He had Terminus killed. Along with almost all the other miners." Megatron looked down at the floor and his massive metal shoulders heaved.

"I don't want to tell you this is all about some petty vengeance, because it isn't. The decepticon cause is about ending the functionists, but I personally will not find any peace as long as Sentinel Prime lives."

There was a sound of gunfire up ahead. Swindle dove for cover as a guard fired at him.

There was a vop sound, and Skywarp teleported behind the guard, dragging him to the ground and violently dispatching him with an elbow to the head.

"So we will kill Sentinel Prime. Then topple the senate. And then?" Soundwave asked.

"Then we've won." Megatron replied. "The Decepticons will dissolve and Cybertron will be free."

* * *

When Astrotrain returned to the pit, the Decepticons unloaded the vast array of weapons crates and began popping them open.

Hundreds of guns, being unloaded in the pit, while the Decepticons carried missiles and grenades around the arena.

Clench walked in, looking like he was about to have an aneurism.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" Clench demanded. "There's a fight tonight!"

"Not anymore." Swindle sneered. "Boss bought you out, slag licker."

"What?!" Clench exclaimed. "Where is he?! I didn't agree to any slagging..."

Megatron strode next to the smaller mech, and glared down at him.

"Problem?" He asked.

"Yeah, what's this bout you buyin me out?! I ain't going anywhere."

"You don't have to go anywhere if you don't want to." Megatron said, stepping towards the mech, so that his shadow blocked out the lights over the pit, and shrouded Clench in darkness. "I have more than enough credits from my five victories to buy this arena."

Soundwave walked over. "Megatron, there's someone here to see you..."

"I'm busy." Megatron stated. "Get rid of them."

"But...it's mine! I own it! I'll go to..." Clench began angrily.

"To who, Clench? You own an ILLEGAL FIGHTING ARENA!" Megatron boomed. "You can go to the authorities, you can tell them all about me and how alive I am, tell them where to arrest me and my Decepticons. And not only would you have made the Decepticons your enemy, but you would likely end up in the same prison as the rest of us. So tell me, Clench...do you wish to accept my buyout and leave, do you wish to die in the pit, or do you wish to take your chances in G9?" He leaned down and glared into the little mechs optics.

He looked angry, but powerless. He looked down, not wanting to meet Megatron's gaze.

"Okay. Okay. I'll take the buyout."

Megatron handed him a gold card. "Pleasure doing business, Clench."

The mech grimaced, as he snatched the card from his hand. He turned and stormed out of the arena without another word.

Megatron smirked. One less weight off his shoulders. One step closer to revolution.

This pit was truly his now.

There was a commotion in the corner of the room. Breakdown went flying, slamming against the wall.

"What's going on?" Megatron demanded.

"That visitor..." Soundwave said, walking over. "He did not wish to leave."

A red and blue mech came crashing into the room, hurling aside Decepticons as he did.

Megatron narrowed his optics and started stepping towards him.

Starscream jetted towards the mech in his alternate mode and changed form. He landed in front of the mech, who punched him in the face, and then kicked him back.

"I am here to speak to Megatron!" The mech shouted.

Megatron stepped forth. "Who are you?" He demanded.

The mech let out a long, exhausted vent. He was clearly winded from the fight and he put up a hand as he leaned over and vented.

"Sorry. My name is Orion Pax. I wish to have a word with you."


	14. Orion Pax

Chapter 14-Orion Pax

The mech stepped forward boasting a surprising confidence.

His optics looked young, bright, yet his frame radiated power. Ability.

His upper body red, his lower body blue, and a determined look on his face.

"You're alive, I knew you were..." he began, upon seeing the angry miner.

Skywarp teleported behind the mech and whacked him in the back of the helm. He let out a surprised groan and dropped to his knees.

"Are you such an easy find?" Starscream asked Megatron, his voice dripping with condescension. "A policeman just walked into your gladiator pit looking for you. Being dead isn't an advantage if no one believes it."

"You don't understand..." Orion muttered.

"Quiet you!" Starscream snapped, kicking the mech in the side. "Megatron if we kill him now, and work quickly we may be able to dispose of..."

"You seem to be doing an odd awful lot of talking Starscream." Megatron interrupted, stepping towards the downed officer. "He wishes to speak with me, not you, forgive me if your ego cannot handle that."

Starscream gritted his teeth and let out a low growl. Skywarp chuckled silently, but bit down on his metal lips to hide it.

"Now as for you...Pax? Is it? This...is not a place you want to be. It is very important to me that my continued existence remain secret from the government and law enforcement, and I fear that you seeing me now directly stands in the way of that."

Skywarp shrugged, seeing the way the conversation was going. He raised his null ray level to Pax's head.

"However." Megatron snapped, causing Skywarp to fold the weapon away. "Killing a policeman would not be a terribly wise move, especially so early on. So you understand my quandary."

"Okay so...may I?" Orion asked, looking up at Megatron, and rubbing the dented back of his helm. Megatron nodded. Pax stood up slowly, hands still raised.

"Look. You think if i told anyone about you, I'd come alone? There would be an entire tactical team backing me up, probably senate enforcers too."

Megatron's optics narrowed.

"Is this the case?"

Orion sighed, trying to let his vents catch up to his pistons as he looked at the group of armed mechs standing around him.

"No. I came alone. Because I need to talk to you. Because...I have a friend who can help you."

Soundwave, who had stood off to the side idly, turned and looked at Megatron. Megatron glanced back.

"A friend?" Megatron asked. "A policeman comes to my illegal establishment and tells me that he has a friend willing to offer me help? Forgive me if I am not convinced."

"I know." Orion said. "It sounds crazy. It is crazy...look. Do you have a computer? Something that can do basic research? This doesn't work unless you trust me. So I need you to look up my name, and see what pops up."

"I will do that now, my lord." Soundwave droned. He stood still for a moment.

"Curious."

Pax turned and looked at the mech. He arched an optic ridge. "What are you a computer?"

"No, but one of my talents is storing information." Soundwave replied. He looked over at the wall, and then projected an image onto it.

POLICEMAN BREACHES SENATE CHAMBER was the headline that projected onto the wall.

The group looked up at it, the headline had an attached image, of a roughed up looking Orion Pax being dragged away by enforcers.

"Ahhh..." Megatron said, nodding slowly. "I remember. Some crazy fool plowed into the senate chamber and demanded accountability from the senators. Threatened to form his own faction too. I was sure the fool was jailed or killed." He looked at the headline, then down at Pax. "And yet now, the fool stands before me."

Pax stepped forward, optics coming level with the miner's.

One set of red optics jaded, deadly.

The other set of blue optics, bright, optimistic. Innocent.

Both shared a determined look.

"How did you manage to avoid prison? Beyond that, how are you still a policeman?" Megatron asked incredulously.

"While I obviously upset the majority of the senate that day, I made a friend of one of them. Senator Shockwave."

Megatron's audios perked up at the mention of the name.

"I've heard of him. The scientist. He...supports you?"

"He managed to save me from prison and get me my job back." Pax replied. "And made some...modifications to my frame."

Megatron nodded, turning and walking along the edge of the pit and inviting Pax to walk with him. Most of the decepticons had dispersed by now, but Ravage watched suspiciously from the shadows, and Starscream walked behind the two.

"I read the transcript of what you said..." Megatron said, thinking back on when it had been a big news story. "Your spark seemed to be in the right place despite your foolish lack of self preservation."

"Senator Shockwave is my friend. The one who wants to help you." Pax said, changing the subject slightly. "He has a plan. He's been mounting a small, silent resistance for quite some time."

"Senator Shockwave...tell me, why would a senator stand against his own senate?" Megatron asked.

"Because he's not just a senator." Pax replied. "He's a scientist, and he doesn't like functionism any more than you do. He knows it's holding us back."

Megatron arched an optic ridge. Trying to derive a motive from either Pax or his senator friend. "From what?"

Pax sighed, looking around as though thinking. "A golden age. But not like this. A real one."

Megatron nodded. "And what do you want?" He asked, looking at the officer closely, analyzing his every twitch, and motion.

"Me? I want...I want a cybertron where the government is accountable. Where people can be what they want to be, and nobody can tell them they can't because of what they turn into...I want a world where a government is afraid of its people, not the other way around."

Megatron smiled. He could feel the sincerity of the naive young mech. He didn't feel this often, even from his own militia. A part of him wondered if it was truth or a large amount of charisma.

"You'd make an excellent decepticon, Orion Pax."

Pax chuckled. "Maybe. Maybe one day. But I still believe in the law, and I think there's a way I can fight this as a cop. Shockwave knows how."

Megatron nodded. "Set up a meeting with senator Shockwave. I wish to speak with him myself. Think about my offer though, Pax. I see a rare...determination in you. I think you could make a good revolutionary."

Orion Pax left to make arrangements, the other decepticons glaring at him with suspicious and worried optics. Not only had a policeman found their base, he'd been allowed to leave. It was peculier.

Megatron was left alone with Soundwave and Starscream, watching as Breakdown and Astrotrain unpacked weapon cases.

"That policeman played you like a fiddle." Starscream muttered. "All he had to do was start talking about resistance this and boo functionism that, and you rolled over for him."

Megatron turned to glare at the seeker.

"He spoke with a level of sincerity I doubt you are capable of, Starscream."

"It is still very much a gamble, Megatron." Soundwave droned. "He could report our location."

Megatron sat down on a weapons crate. "I will take that chance. I looked into his optics. He believes. Believers like us...we are not so easily swayed."

"And what of Senator Shockwave?" Soundwave asked.

Megatron's optics narrowed.

"I find it harder to trust any senator. And that could very well be a trap. All I am going on is Pax's word."

"The word of someone you just met..." Starscream muttered.

"Agreed. It's problematic. But I will meet with him. I will size him up, see where his loyalties truly lie." Megatron stated.

"I will listen in." Soundwave offered.

"I expect no less my friend." Megatron said, hopping off of the weapons crate. "Before the meeting is set, I feel the need to bolster our ranks. Soundwave, try to find Iacon prison registries. There's a prisoner, a former miner who could be useful to us."

There was a clearing of a throat from within the pit.

Skywarp teleported up to stand before Megatron.

"I would like to remind you, Megatron, that you said you would help my brother."

"Hey! Step off!" Rumble exclaimed, stepping between the seeker, and Megatron.

"Ah yes. The seeker, you say he read my writings yes?" Megatron asked, folding his arms.

Skywarp nodded. "It's what got him locked up."

"Excellent. Thunderbacker? Thunderstacker? Thunderbolt?"

"Thundercracker." Skywarp stated through gritted teeth.

"Ah yes. Very well Skywarp, Soundwave try and find out where Thundercracker is being held as well." Megatron commanded.

"They are being held in the same facility, not in Iacon, but in Tetrahex." Soundwave reported.

Megatron smirked. "Saves us some energon. Astrotrain! Prepare for transport!"

Astrotrain dropped a weapons crate and let out a groan. "Again?"

Megatron shot him a look that caused the mech to stop complaining and transform up into his shuttle mode.

"Starscream, Skywarp, do me a favor and give the prison sensors something to panic about will you?" He asked.

"Ugh." Starscream muttered, glaring at Skywarp. "This is your fault..."

He transformed up into his jet mode, and Skywarp followed a moment later. The two cybertronian jets blasted through the tunnels toward the surface.

* * *

Tetrahex. The maximum security prison was walled, and surrounded by watchtowers and gun emplacements.

The two seekers swooped in from overhead, and began rolling, twisting and zipping over the prison.

A loudspeaker blared to life.

"Attention aircraft, you are in restricted airspace! Divert course or you will be shot down and prosecuted!"

"Welp. They've seen us." Skywarp muttered. "Guess the jigs up, eh Screamer?"

Starscream's null rays popped out of the sides of his wings.

"Quit your blabbering. Megatron demands a distraction, let's give him one."

He opened fire, his jet form showering the gun emplacements with laser fire.

They slammed against the first turret, tearing it apart.

"Oh well." Skywarp muttered, changing form and landing on one of the turrets. He grabbed it, and tore it out of its slot before hurling it aside. "He can't be mad at us right? Like this is literally what he asked us to do, right?"

"Are you really asking me if we'll get in trouble, Skywarp? Pathetic. We are seekers. Our methods are not to be questioned." Starscream snapped, firing a missile that tore apart another gun turret.

"Starscream are you firing on the prison?!" Megatron demanded over his comms.

"Yes my lord, you asked for a distraction, I am delivering."

"A distraction requires some aerial stunts and mild annoyance, I did not tell you to start a war!" Megatron said sternly. "Starscream, my patience with you..." the message crackled out and died.

"Apologies." Starscream muttered. "Can't do anything right..."

Astrotrain hovered overhead, and lowered, touching down on the ground just outside the prison walls.

The alarm was sounding within the prison, and guards were running around with guns drawn.

"Two fliers, they're in attack formation!" A voice declared over the loudspeaker. "Bring them down!"

A large guard grabbed a grenade launcher, and began walking down the prison block, a confident grin on his face.

"Lemme at those fly boys!" He boomed.

Then the wall next to him exploded.

A massive black and silver cybertronian truck smashed through the metal wall, and plowed into the guard, knocking him over and sending him crashing against the other end of the cell block.

The truck transformed up into a large, and very excited looking mech.

"HELL YEAH!" He shouted, pounding his fists together. "Man that felt great, that wall didn't stand a CHANCE!"

Megatron strode in through the hole in the wall. "Don't lose focus, Motormaster. Secure this cell block, non lethal force."

"Awww, what? What am I supposed to do, I can't even shoot anyone?!" Motormaster demanded.

A guard sprung out from the corner of the walkway, and raised his gun.

Megatron lashed out, grabbing the gun and bashing the butt of it against his face, then hurled it aside and slammed the mechs head against the railing.

"Use your fists motormaster. As I do." Megatron commanded. Another guard jumped down from the floor above them. Megatron grabbed him in the air, slammed him against the wall and began beating down on the mech, every single blow denting and shearing off the mech's metals. He tossed the damaged mech aside, and continued storming down the cell block, looking in each cell.

Another guard popped out, and Motormaster charged at them, body slamming the poor mech, knocking the rifle from his grip, before slamming him against the floor and bashing down on his helm.

Megatron reached the final cell and looked down.

Sitting on the cell floor, next to his recharge slab, was Brawl.

The mech looked up at him and his optics widened under his visor.

"Megatron?!" He exclaimed.

Megatron noticed out of the corner of his optic, a guard taking aim, and grabbed his rifle, snatching it away, then slamming the mech headfirst against the cell door, causing it to crack.

He grabbed the knocked out guard's hand and pressed it against a scanner beside the door. It flashed green, and the cell slid open.

Megatron tossed the mech aside and stepped into the cell.

"Like a Phoenix from the ashes, old friend." Megatron hissed, energon spattered along his frame, as he held out his hand for Brawl.

The green mech grabbed it and stood up.

"I knew those cowards couldn't have killed you." Brawl declared.

Down the cell block, Skywarp smashed open another cell, and a light blue seeker, identical to him, stepped out.

Skywarp embraced the seeker.

"It's good to see you again, brother." Skywarp said, the relief evident in his voice.

Thundercracker let out a long vent, then looked over at Megatron.

"Is that...?"

"Yup." Skywarp replied. "I wouldn't ask him for an autograph, he doesn't seem to be in the mood."

As if the bring home that point, Megatron grabbed an attacking guard and ripped off both of his arms, before kicking him over the guard rail.

"We have what we came for." He stated. "Fall back, Decepticons."

As he headed down the hallway, back towards the hole Motormaster had made, he looked up at noticed a camera on the ceiling.

He looked directly into it.

And he grinned, a confident grin.

Hours later, Sentinel Prime stared at the video camera footage, rewinding it over and over.

As though doing so would change what he was seeing. But it didn't change anything.

Megatron was alive. And by the confident, vicious look on his face, he was not the same Megatron Sentinel had threatened so many months earlier.


	15. Shockwave

Chapter 15: Shockwave

Megatron rumbled down a central, quite busy street in lower Kaon.

He demanded the meeting be here. He was brave but he wasn't a fool.

He wasn't going all the way to Iacon, the senate's backyard, for a simple meeting.

And so instead, Senator Shockwave sat on a park bench. Standing off to the side, Orion Pax, the policeman.

And as Megatron rumbled up in his mining tank alternate mode, he kept careful views of his surroundings.

Shockwave looked nervous. Pax did not.

"The same few vehicles continue to circle the block." Shockwave muttered. "A white speeder, a black and grey truck...I swear I've seen them pass by four times now..."

Megatron rolled up and changed form, smirking.

"Fear not. The little one is Breakdown, the larger is Motormaster. I did not want to come to this meeting unprotected. I'm sure you understand. Your officer friend seems to think I should work with you." Megatron said, extending his servo to Shockwave.

The senator hesitated, then shook it. He was clearly surprised by the look of Megatron, in person.

He didn't look like a writer.

"Hello Megatron, I of course am Senator Shockwave of..."

"I know quite well who you are. I knew of you even before Orion reached out to me. But I must ask...to what do I owe the presence of a senator?"

Shockwave put his hands together and looked around the block again, anxiously.

"Cybertron...is approaching a dire time. An energy crisis. Due in large part to the wealthier, more powerful figures using so much of it, and due to the senate's ignorance towards this, Cybertron will very soon have to find alternate methods of creating energon. It could...very well plunge this world into the darkest period of its existence. And with this senate in charge, it would undoubtedly be a time of great suffering for the mid to lower classes."

Megatron nodded. "An energy crisis?"

"Yes." Shockwave replied. "Cybertron is going cold, so to speak. Overconsumption. Functionism would say it is Primus' will, but that is a load of nonsense and propaganda. I see a very dark future particularly for the lowest of cybertronians...ones unemployed, considered 'redundant' or 'obsolete' by the government. You seem more aware of these things than most so I'll ask you...have you heard of the March on Tarn?"

Megatron frowned. Tarn. The place of his birth. "No. I've never heard of such march."

Orion shuddered, looking away, clearly made uncomfortable by it.

"Laser pointers. Hundreds of mechs who turned into laser pointers lost their jobs all at once, after it was discovered that any bot could simply install such laser pointers for less shanix." Shockwave explained. "But when they were laid off, they revolted, saying that their alt mode type could not simply be written off in such a way. They staged a massive protest and..."

"And the senate's forces came in and killed every last one of them." Orion interrupted, anger and sadness in his optics. "Wiped an entire alt mode class off the map. Like they'd never existed. It was covered up by the senate and the local police."

"And no one noticed all those people go missing?" Megatron asked, appalled at what he was hearing.

"Noticed?" Pax asked. "When you're declared obsolete by the government, you lose everything. Your only employment, eventually your homes, and you cannot get other jobs. They dropped off the grid, and when they died it didn't make a single ripple on this planet. That's the true monstrosity of Functionism, Megatron. They made an entire class of cybertronian irrelevant to the world, and then they killed them."

"And if they did it then, then it would stand to reason that in an energon shortage, they would be even more brutal." Shockwave stated. "They must be brought down before then. While there's still a chance to avert the crisis. But it would require taking executive control of the senate."

Megatron sat down next to Shockwave on the bench, while Orion tried to relax after his passionate outburst of emotion.

"Do you have the power to do this?" The ex miner asked.

"I might." Shockwave replied. "You see, while the public believes the senate is a sort of democracy, a group of people voting to decide our future, it is not. It is controlled by one mech."

"Prime." Megatron hissed, hatred in his voice.

"Actually, no." Shockwave replied, chuckling nervously. "No, though the senate goes to great lengths to make it appear Sentinel is in charge. A Prime is far harder to question than a senate. No. Senator Proteus is the true leader of the senate."

Megatron frowned. "I've never heard of this Proteus..."

"That's by design." Shockwave replied. "He remains in the shadows, quietly pulling the strings. He is not the public face of the senate, I doubt many on this world know his name, but he leads them."

Megatron nodded, his mental capacitors taking in all this new information enthusiastically. "So how could you overthrow him?" He asked.

"I believe I can sway some other high ranking members of the senate into calling a vote, one that could...if done correctly...relieve Senator Proteus of his duties, and instead install me as the leader." Shockwave explained.

"I have a lot of concerns about the plan." Orion Pax noted.

"I do too. But it is the first, and best option I know of." Shockwave stated. "If it works, I could take over the senate without firing a single shot, and begin dismantling functionism from within. It is the most logical course of action."

Megatron folded his hands under his chin and pondered all this.

"I never dreamed there truly was a peaceful solution to all this." He admitted. "At least, not since Messatine. But this changes things. This changes everything." He sounded excited. Truly excited. Not an ounce of anger or malice in his voice.

"I hope it does." Shockwave stated. "We all have opportunities to change the world. Whether we do so for good or ill, is up to us."

Megatron turned to walk away. He had one question burning his system, and he couldn't resist asking.

"What happens to Sentinel Prime?" He asked.

Shockwave frowned. "He could be removed if you like. Replaced by someone less...corrupt."

Megatron's fists clenched.

"I do not wish for him to be replaced. I wish to kill him."

Orion and Shockwave both looked up, and then at each other.

"Megatron...we can't have that." Orion stated. "I'm sorry. But this is a world of laws, and you can't just murder the mech."

Megatron sighed, closing his optics, and trying to let go of his anger.

This was such a good deal. Such an excellent chance. For Megatron. For Cybertron. A chance to make Terminus proud. Could he let go of his hatred and lust for vengeance?

Could he let Sentinel Prime live?

"Very well." He said simply.

A police car pulled up, and transformed.

Megatron turned around in a snap, and raised a pistol, ready for a betrayal.

It was all too good to be true after all.

Motormaster and Breakdown both zoomed over and changed form, pointing large guns at the trio.

"Calm down." The black and white mech said, putting his hands up and smirking.

"He's just our backup." Pax explained. "This is Prowl."

Megatron breathed a sigh of relief and gestured for his mechs to put away their guns. "How will we know the plan succeeds?" He asked, eying Prowl with suspicion.

"I'll message you." Pax said. "Once Shockwave has been put in charge, you'll know."

Megatron nodded, still shaky from Prowl pulling up. He nodded to the black and white mech, then shook Shockwave's hand, followed by Pax's.

"Thank you." He stated, looking at his new allies, and trying to steel himself.

All of this. All of it. It was too much. It couldn't be real. It couldn't be this easy, could it?


	16. Peace without War

Chapter 16: Peace without War

Brawl wandered through the darkness of the arena. Still getting acquainted to his strange surrounding, and watching his only connection to this place, Megatron.

He was almost like a completely new mech now. All the timidness gone, replaced by darkness and anger.

Megatron had returned from his meeting, and was glad to be back in the darkness and safety of his hideout.

His anxiety was always high when he was in the outside. Especially now that he had revealed himself on video. While the populace might still think he was dead, the government was well aware that he was still alive.

"You've been busy." Brawl said, looking around the arena. "So you're doing a whole...anti government thing huh?"

Megatron looked around at all the guns, and his decepticons, sparring, firing guns at targets, training.

"I...don't think I am anymore." Megatron said simply. "I think a...greater opportunity presented itself to me recently. And I'm going to take it."

Brawl cocked his helm to the side. "What kinda opportunity?"

"I have a way we can peacefully take control of the senate, and finally get rid of functionism."

Brawl shrugged. "Well...it mighta been more fun to fight over it, but it's what the old man woulda wanted."

Megatron nodded solemnly. He knew who the old man was. Everyone in that mine had known.

Megatron looked over and noticed Ravage watching him from the shadows.

"Do you have something to tell the men?" He asked, looking up at Megatron.

"Yes." Megatron replied. He sighed deeply, but nodded. "Thank you Ravage."

He walked past the cat and jumped down into the pit.

"Decepticons!" He called.

The group stopped what they were doing, laying down guns, and gathering around the edge of the pit.

Starscream, Skywarp, Thundercracker, Swindle, Breakdown, Vortex, Brawl, Motormaster, Astrotrain, Blitzwing, Deluge, Soundwave, Ravage, Octane, Laserbeak, Rumble and Frenzy.

This was his army. The one he had managed to win the loyalty of.

"A plan is in place to give the power back to the people. The senate will bend to our whims and functionism will whither and die."

The decepticons were ecstatic. They began to cheer enthusiastically, thrilled at what they were hearing.

Megatron let them have their merriment, letting them carry on before he cleared his throat.

"Allies of our cause are setting the plan in motion as we speak." He declared. "And within a solar cycle, we will be victorious. It is a plan that requires...nothing. From any of you. Once functionism dies, this group will be dissolved, the decepticons...will be no more. But our legacy, in causing change, in resisting injustice, will live on."

There seemed to be some confusion. The decepticons looked at each other, not seeming to like what they were hearing.

"So...wait." Blitzwing raised his servo hesitantly. "Where would we go after that?"

"I don't have a job." Motormaster said. "I ran over my boss cuz he kept calling me slurs."

"I'm a full time alcoholic and that's a job you can't lose so..." Skywarp said happily, smirking at Motormaster.

"I apologize..." Megatron stated. "I'm sure this would have been an excellent militia. You performed excellently in freeing Thundercracker and Brawl from Tetrahex. But a peaceful solution is the best solution. An end to functionism was always the goal, and if Shockwave succeeds, our goals will be met." He turned and began to walk away but paused.

"I thank you all for standing with me. I am forever in your debt."

* * *

Proteus sat above the senate chamber as a meeting carried on.

Something about funds. Senator Shockwave and Senator Momus bickered about budgets, and Proteus tried not to fall into stasis listening to it.

"Senator." A mech said.

He turned to see Sentinel Prime beside him.

"Ugh, save me Prime, I'm so bored..." Proteus begged. "This meeting is hell."

"Sir." Prime said, his mouthplate sliding aside. "Several senators came to me to express concern over a certain matter. Apparently a senator in this chamber is involved in a conspiracy against you. And he's not acting alone."

Proteus was fully awake now. "Well it's about time SOMETHING worthwhile happened in this chamber today don't you think?" He asked. "Who is the senator?"

Prime turned and looked down at the shifty, nervous looking Senator Shockwave.


	17. Conspiracy

Chapter 17: Conspiracy

Megatron sat on the edge of an old building, and looked out across Kaon. The winds of Cybertron hitting his frame.

He closed his optics and let the wind blow against him.

"You never get this feeling in the mines." He said aloud.

"I wouldn't imagine so." Orion said, standing next to him, sipping some engex. "I can't imagine working below ground. Up here, on the streets, that's where I like to operate."

"You feel you make a difference?" Megatron asked. Orion gave him a questioning look.

"It's not an insult, it's a genuine question." Megatron clarified. "I've had those doubts myself, I'm curious if you have."

Pax sighed, sitting down next to him. "There are days...when you're walking the street and you see the corrupt enforcers working for the senate, and you know no matter what law you see them break...you cannot stand in their way. They know the right people, and have unlimited authority behind them. And when I see this, I wonder if I'm only dealing with the minority of the crime, letting the bigger crimes go by. The corruption..." he paused, looking down at the floor. "It's disheartening."

Megatron nodded. "I felt that way when I wrote. I never knew if anyone read my writings, Terminus said they did but for all I knew he was just saying that. I wondered if they reached even a single soul, changed a single mind."

Pax put a hand on his shoulder.

"They changed many."

Megatron smiled. "You still wish to refuse my offer? To join the decepticons? I suppose it doesn't matter now, on the precipice of victory but...you would've made an excellent first officer."

Pax chuckled. "I'm flattered. But I have a job to do, and Cybertron needs me."

"It needs all of us. United." Megatron replied. "But we all have our own path, and you have yours. You and your partner who watches us from the shadows."

"Come on guy." Prowl said, stepping out. "Like he said, I'm just the back up. Good eyesight by the way."

"I don't appreciate spies, but I suppose you're just protecting your partner." Megatron commented. "Good evening, Prowl."

"Evening. Pax, it's about time we get going. The game's afoot." Prowl said, pointing to his wrist.

Orion nodded. He stood up. "We need to get going. Thank you for the engex. Primus be with us." He said with a nod.

Megatron shrugged. "I never was terribly religious."

"Oh neither am I." Pax replied. "But we're gonna need all the help we can get tonight if this plan is going to work." He turned, and changed into his red and blue truck form, rumbling down a side ramp.

Prowl gave Megatron a courteous nod, then changed form into a police car and rumbled after him.

Megatron watched them go, then sipped his cube of engex.

"You've gone soft." A voice hissed.

Megatron sighed. "Soft? Starscream, do I need to take you back into the pit and teach you your place again?" He asked, tossing the cube aside and standing up.

Starscream stepped out of the doorway behind him. "You've put the fate of everything we fight for in the hands of strangers, and a senator. All in the misguided hope that this will end easily. When I first met you, I thought you a warrior, with the mind of a revolutionary. But you're just a naive brawler."

Megatron narrowed his optics. "Take care how you speak. I am not some underling to be talked down to. I am your commander."

"Commander of what?" Starscream asked. "A fight club? Let's be honest, after all we've accomplished, that's all we really are. A way for the lowest of Cybertron to work out their anger and sadness..."

Megatron punched Starscream in the face, knocking him onto his aft.

"Do not put down the sacrifices your decepticon brothers have made. This is what I despise about you Starscream, you consider yourself so high above them, yet you have done nothing to earn that. You think you are my first lieutenant, you carry yourself like you are, but I will never consider you one, because all you are is venomous arrogance. All talk. And I've had..."

He paused, as his comm buzzed.

"Pick it up." Starscream said, smirking, even as he laid on his back. "You know what it's about. I think you know already what's happened."

"Silence." Megatron snapped. He pressed the receive button.

"Megatron." The voice was garbled, but Megatron recognized it as Pax.

"Listen to me, I don't have a lot of time and this call may be traced so don't talk, just listen. I'm on my way to Iacon with Prowl, Shockwave has been arrested. Enforcers apparently dragged him out of the senate chamber, and nobody knows where they took him, you need to be careful, they may have linked this to Prowl and I, and if they have, then it might lead back to you."

Megatron nodded. "I understand."

Pax had already disconnected. He let out a long vent.

"It's all gone wrong hasn't it?" Starscream sneered.

Megatron glared at him.

"It always goes wrong. Gather your seekers. We need to find Senator Shockwave."

* * *

Shockwave let out a groan, then gasped as his optics onlined.

He was being dragged through a dark room, he didn't recognize where.

He had an enforcer on each side of him. His lips quivered.

"Please...where are you taking me?" He asked weakly.

"Shut up!" One of the enforcers replied, striking him across the face, drawing energon.

They hurled him into a chair, and stood in front of him, as footsteps approached from the back of the room.

"If I am being charged, then I demand to know the charges!" Shockwave demanded. "What precinct is this?"

"You think we'd leave you with the police?" A voice asked. Sentinel Prime walked toward the chair, and a single light illuminated above them.

Proteus stood behind them, his frame masked in shadow.

"I see you Proteus! Don't think you can hide what you've done, this is illegal!" Shockwave snapped, optics wide, panicked.

"So is treason." Sentinel snapped. "You thought you could flip the senate over? I never knew you had such ambitions, I might've respected you more." He turned to Proteus. "You want him gone?"

"Dead?" Proteus asked, looking to Prime, then to the terrified Shockwave. "No. That would not send the message properly. Besides you have broken no official laws, merely...overstepped your bounds. No...I'm not going to kill you Shockwave, im going to make you disappear. I will make sure nothing that ever comes out of that scheming mouth of yours carries any weight again for as long as you live."

"Please...you can't do this..." Shockwave pleaded.

Sentinel smirked. He turned to a figure in the back of the room. A mech with medical logos on his wings stepped forward.

"Pharma...go to work." He commanded.

Pharma, the medic, sneered, a circular saw extending from his arm.

Shockwave let out a cry as the doctor went to work, and the screams and pleas of mercy echoed through the large dark room.

"When the good doctor is done here, you will be nothing Shockwave. Not a senator, not a scientist, nothing." Proteus hissed from the shadows. "An outcast no one bothers to remember."


	18. Empurata

Chapter 18-Empurata

"Surely you realize what this means?!" Starscream demanded, as Megatron retreated below, toward the pit.

"Enlighten me." Megatron asked as he stomped through the halls.

"If they have Shockwave, then they must be closing in on us too. Surely you see that. Surely the great Megatron, liberator of the working class wouldn't put all these mechs in danger by ignoring the threat from the government? This isn't the most secure location."

Megatron turned to look at Starscream. Then he turned to Soundwave.

"Can you hear any commotion outside?"

"Nothing unusual." Soundwave replied. He ejected Ravage from his chest.

"Search the perimeter." Soundwave commanded. "Report back any sign of enforcers."

Megatron looked at Soundwave closely.

"Do you know how we can find out where they've taken Shockwave?"

"Taken Shockwave?" Starscream asked. "He's probably dead already!"

"No." Megatron replied. "No, I know Sentinel Prime. I know the way his senate operates. Sentinel's primary motivation...his obsession...is to make it seem at all times that everything is normal. He stamps out any sign of public conflict, any protest. He knows how bad it would look if a senator was killed under suspicious circumstances. He's not going to kill Shockwave." He looked over at the other soldiers. "He's going to do something worse. Something that the public is so numb to that they wouldn't question it."

"What would that be?" Brawl asked.

Megatron looked at him, intensely focused, running over every possibility in his head.

"Soundwave. I want you to activate the beacon we placed in that government laboratory. The Institute."

Soundwave plugged into a computer.

"This late at night it's likely empty." Starscream surmised.

"It isn't." Soundwave said, turning to look at them. "I'm picking up several life signs in the sub-basement of the facility."

"You bugged the institute?" Thundercracker asked. "Do you have any idea how much trouble you could get in just for that?"

"I'm putting a Strike team together." Megatron stated, ignoring the seeker's question. "Starscream, Skywarp, Thundercracker, you were once considered elite seekers of the Primal vanguard. I want Shockwave brought to me, and I want him alive."

"Megatron...he's a senator." Skywarp said. "They're the enemy. For all we know he tried to sell us out. Maybe they double crossed him."

Megatron glared darkly at him.

"I want Shockwave. Alive." He repeated.

"As you command." Starscream grumbled, giving Skywarp a glare.

* * *

The facility was in full lockdown. The institute, a place for research, a place for experimentation, and a place full of things that would make any decent bot's tank turn.

It was where outliers were brought for study, where mechs with rare alt modes were examined, for value.

It was the city, and the planet's most important research facility.

A pair of gun turrets rose up from the roof and began firing as three coordinated seekers jetted by, unleashing a volley of lasers on the facility.

"Don't mind the turrets." Starscream commanded. "Target the roof, full missile spread."

The three jets unleashed a volley of missiles, that blasted open the roof, setting off alarms throughout.

They weaved in, and continued through the surprisingly deserted facility.

Sentinel Prime turned as he heard the explosion.

"Intruders." Proteus hissed. "We must get the enforcers out here, deal with them."

"No, Senator." Sentinel stated. He turned to the no longer responsive Shockwave, still being operated on by Pharma. "We can't be here. The public...it would raise too much curiosity. We need to go, now."

Proteus frowned, looking upset at the prospect of fleeing. But as he thought it over in his head, he came to the same conclusion.

"You are correct of course. Forgive me, Sentinel. Pharma! Come, your work is done!"

The doctor nodded.

"My best work if I may say so myself." He said, stepping away from the ruined Senator.

"I'm inclined to agree with you." Sentinel said with a chuckle. He, the senator and the doctor exited the room, and headed for their underground tunnel.

The guards in the room raised their weapons.

"Sensors are showing three hostiles."

The door exploded, sending one of the guards flying back against the wall.

The three seekers walked in firing, and the guards didn't even have the time to fire back.

When all four guards lay dead, smoking on the ground, Thundercracker and Skywarp entered.

Starscream turned to check the hallway, guns raised. "Check to see if Shockwave still lives." He commanded.

"Oh Primus." He said with shock. "That's...dear Primus." He said again, disgusted by what he saw.

"Oh I'm sure it's not so bad, it's..." Skywarp trailed off as he pulled the surgical sheet away from the senator.

He gagged, then purged all over the floor.

"You idiot!" Thundercracker exclaimed, putting his hands on his head. "You just left evidence! They can trace your purge back to you, you know..."

"What happened?" Starscream demanded, walking in. "Which of you idiots threw up?!" He screeched. "Digesting!"

"It was Skywarp!" Thundercracker exclaimed.

"Ugh if this is evidence, they're gonna find out who I am, where I live..." Skywarp rambled worriedly.

"So teleport it away!" Thundercracker exclaimed.

"iT DOESNT WORK LIKE THAT!" Skywarp snapped.

"ENOUGH! Let's go." Starscream urged. "We have a short window to escape before backup arrives, and I tire of incurring Megatron's wrath."

Skywarp and Thundercracker lifted the senator's limp form off the berth, and dragged him away, Skywarp gagging again, trying not to purge all over again.

"I have him." Starscream stated into his comms device. "I need transport."

The wall next to them blasted open, and a long purple cylinder chugged through it.

"On time for once." Skywarp said with a chuckle as he loaded Shockwave into the train.

"Megatron's waiting, get back to the pit." Astrotrain commanded. "Backups less than a nanocycle out. Enforcers. Lots of em."

He chugged ahead, plowing through the same wall he'd come through, while the three jets changed form, and jetted down the hall, and out of the facility.

* * *

Megatron stepped into the pit, as Astrotrain taxi'd in.

He landed, and changed form, depositing Shockwave on the ground.

"Get him a medical bay, immediately!" Megatron commanded. He walked over to the mech, and knelt down.

A single optic stared up at him. The mech had been sloppily painted purple, an attempt to vandalize him for his betrayal, but the most striking feature was that his head, his face had been replaced.

A single optic, online, staring up at Megatron.

Saying nothing.

"What have they done to you?" Megatron asked. He got no reply.

The seekers returned, and Megatron stood. Jaw clenched angrily. He shook his head in disgust, then walked past them without a word, and headed for the workshop.

"Not even a thank you." Starscream hissed. "I made not one mistake, the mission went flawlessly and he doesn't even..."

"Shut up Starscream." Skywarp muttered. "He's in a killing mood right now."

* * *

Hours passed. The decepticons were beginning to wonder what was going on but no one dared go in to see what he was doing.

They went back to their usual activities eventually, gambling, playing cards, training, when the door to the smelter opened, and Megatron stepped out.

He had a look of stone faced determination.

His red optics glaring ahead.

And a long black cylinder, hooked into the spot where his drill bits used to plug in.

"That's...a big gun." Brawl said nervously.

"It is a weapon of war." Megatron stated, staring up at the other decepticons.

He jumped down into the pit, so that he could look up at them all.

And the decepticons, without being asked, gathered in a circle around the pit to hear him speak.

"Because after the savagery that I have seen tonight, that is what I call this now. Sentinel Prime has declared war on decency, due process, on righteousness." He stared at Shockwave's motionless form. "The senate, and their Prime were given a choice tonight. We could have removed them with peace but they refused."

He walked over to Shockwave again. "This is a decepticon. Not a senator, not anymore. This act of savagery, to remove his head, to leave him without speech, This was done to a DECEPTICON!" He shouted. "TO ONE OF OUR BROTHERS! And if we allow them to get away with this, he will not be the last."

"KILL SENTINEL PRIME!" Motormaster shouted.

"They had a choice tonight. They made the wrong choice!" Megatron shouted. He lifted up his new gun. "THEY CHOSE THIS FUSION CANNON!"


	19. Optics

Chapter 19-Optics

As day broke, the institute, one of the most major government facilities on Cybertron, was missing a roof.

The enforcers were combing the scene for any sign of the perpetrators.

In the Citadel, tensions were high.

Proteus stared out of his tinted glass window overlooking the currently empty senate chamber.

"They haven't found anything yet." Sentinel Prime stated. "But four dead guards, killed by null ray. My guess would be fliers. Probably ex-primal vanguard."

"What are you a detective?" Proteus spat. "Where's that ace detective you have? Prowl? Get him on this."

Sentinel tilted his head a little, thinking it over in his head.

"Prowl...he's been doing a lot of work with that troublemaker, Pax..." He frowned, then opened a comm link.

"Barricade, I want you to find all the sky spy footage from the past week. I want to know everywhere Officers Orion Pax and Prowl have been in that time."

There was a crackle.

"Sure thing boss, I'll give it a look."

Sentinel looked at Proteus, an excited grin on his face.

"I think I've got them." He opened a comm link as he walked out of the door.

"I want two units ready within the next ten minutes. Send them to Orion Pax's Apartment in Iacon, and I want a tactical team headed to lower Kaon. We're bringing in Megatron today."

* * *

"...The public reacting with surprise and in some cases fear, as the senate announced the clampdown today. All cities on Cybertron are now subject to strict curfews, and anyone violating them are subject to search and arrest..."

A decepticon logo appeared on the screen behind Blaster as he spoke.

"The act has the approval of Sentinel Prime and is going into effect immediately. Police enforcers now additionally have the right to search anyone suspected of being involved with the decepticon activities."

"The turbofox is out of the bag." Prowl muttered, eating some energon goodies while he sat and watched.

Orion Pax stood behind him, arms folded, concern on his face.

"Do you think they'll find Megatron?" Prime asked.

Prowl shrugged. "I would." He looked over at Pax. "But then, I'm a much better cop than most." He paused. "Get down."

"What?" Pax asked.

The windows of the apartment shattered, as a pair of grenades dropped in.

They exploded, sending shrapnel throughout the room. Pax dropped to the floor, as the door was blasted open, and two enforcers walked in.

"I wanna see hands!" The first enforcer shouted. "Now!"

"Sir, we're both police officers!" Orion Pax stated, putting his hands up.

"Not anymore." The mech sneered. "Keep your hands where..."

There was a blast. A massive hole appeared in the chest of the enforcer.

He stared down at it, his optics flickering and offlining, he was starting to grey before he hit the floor.

Megatron stood in the doorway, fusion cannon smoking, red optics the only thing visible in the darkness.

The other enforcer turned. Orion stood up, and charged at him, knocking him over.

As he tried to get up, Orion punched him, knocking him out.

"You didn't need to do that." He stated, staring down at the dead enforcer.

"He was throwing grenades at you Pax. He didn't care whether he killed you, why should you care that he's dead?"

"He's still a cop." Prowl snapped. "Now we're in even deeper..."

"Freeze! Don't move!" A third enforcer shouted from the doorway.

Megatron let out an irritated growl and turned around, grabbing the mechs face, he pulled him into the apartment, punched him in the jaw, then lifted him up and hurled him at the tv.

The tv broke in half, and the enforcer slumped to the floor, unconscious.

"That ones alive. Happy now?" Megatron asked.

"They've figured out our involvement." Pax stated. "If they've figured us out, they won't be far off your trail."

"Dont worry about me Pax." Megatron replied. "Get out of town. Find some place to lay low until this is all finished."

Prowl folded a gun into his holster. "What exactly are you planning on doing?"

"There's a war on." Megatron replied. "I intend to win. When I have, I'll send for you both."

Pax nodded. He began packing supplies.

"Orion." Megatron said softly.

Pax looked over at him.

"It is not lost on me that you make this sacrifice because of me. You both have taken...tremendous risks. And I'm eternally grateful." He held out his hand.

Pax shook it.

"What are friends for?" He asked with a smirk. "Whatever you do...be safe."

"You too." Megatron replied, shaking Prowl's hand as well. "Take care of each other, and get out of the city as soon as possible. The clampdown begins in less than an hour."

Prowl and Orion headed out the door.

"Where are you headed?" Pax asked.

Megatron paused, a small grin spreading on his face.

"Back to my pit. Destiny awaits." He said, staring at his fusion cannon.

* * *

Ravage prowled around the Kaon streets, watching as vehicles rolled by.

His decepticon badge was hidden while he was out in public, lest he run into law enforcement.

And boy had he. He watched as a serious of enforcement cars and vans rolled down the road, in the direction of the pit.

He slinked down a side street and activated his comms.

"Megatron, enforcers inbound. A whole convoy."

"Affirmative." Megatron replied, rolling down the entrance, and re-entering the arena. He turned to the others, who were shuffling about.

"Decepticons! Packs the weapons into Astrotrain and get ready to move!" He commanded. "Enforcers are closing in."

"What?!" Skywarp exclaimed. "It's cuz I puked, it must be."

"Silence." Starscream hissed. "Load the weapons into the damn train."

Astrotrain sat in his train mode, as they loaded in guns.

Hook, a makeshift medic, was tending to Shockwave, who laid in stasis, unable or unwilling to speak.

"What uh...what do I do with him?" He asked Megatron.

Megatron looked at Astrotrain. "Load him up as best you can. He can't be found by enforcers." He turned to the other decepticons who stood around the rim of the pit.

"We have had a plan in place for this." He stated. "Split up, and rendezvous in lower Kaon. Stay clear of enforcers, and leave no trace that you were here. Don't get caught, and if you do, no one talks. Our mission is too important to fail."

The decepticons changed form, and rumbled down the tunnel and out of the pit, leaving their first meeting place behind.

Megatron watched them go. Optics empty as he stared at them.

He looked down at his hands. He still had the energon of those guards on them. He wiped them off on the edge of the pit.

Thundercracker and Skywarp jetted out of the underground lair, through a side sewer tunnel.

"Staying behind, oh fearless leader?" Starscream sneered.

"Yes." Megatron replied.

"Of course you...wait, really?" Starscream asked. "But...really? Why? What would you gain from that?"

Megatron turned to him and smirked.

"I want to look into Sentinel Prime's optics. And I won't get any better chance than this."

Starscream stared at him incredulously, then shrugged.

"Well...I...suppose this has been somewhat entertaining at least...good luck, Megatron of Tarn."

He changed form, and streaked after his brothers.

Megatron watched him go.

"I don't need luck, Starscream of Vos."

Soundwave allowed his minions to hop back into his chest compartment, then looked back at Megatron, who nodded to him.

Soundwave nodded back, then changed into his radio form, landing in the back of Motormaster's trailer.

Motormaster rumbled down the tunnel, and the pit was silent.

Megatron stood in the center of it and waited.

The wall on the left side of the arena exploded, as it was breached by government enforcers.

The black and white mechs charged in, guns raised, assault rifles pointed at Megatron's form immediately.

"I see him!" One of the enforcers shouted. "It's Megatron! Suspect, unhook that weapon!"

Megatron calmly unlatched the fusion cannon from his arm, and placed it on the floor of the pit.

Then he placed his hands on his head and knelt down, as the enforcers swarmed around him.


	20. Afraid

Chapter 20: Afraid

The wagon rumbled along the speedway, escorted by police vehicles and enforcers, toward a bunker in Iacon.

Megatron sat inside the wagon, surrounded by large mechs, his hands and legs shackled, his t cog had been disabled with a paralyzer patch, and his optics glared straight down at the floor.

"Miner, huh?" One of the enforcement officers asked.

"Don't talk to him." Another enforcer snapped. "You heard what Sentinel said."

"I'm just askin him. He doesn't look like a miner. Where are your identification decals, miner?"

Megatron said nothing, continuing to glare at the floor.

A glare that could melt through metal.

The wagon pulled to a stop.

"Idiot." The enforcer said to the other one. "Let's go." He hauled Megatron to his pedes, and the group of enforcers dragged him out of the wagon, and towards a low hanging door.

They were underground. Pretty deep underground, and Megatron looked over at the steel entry/exit door they had entered from, mapping out the route that had brought him here.

He didn't have his fusion cannon anymore. One of the enforcers was carrying it. A black and white police unit, who gave Megatron a hard glare when he looked back at it.

They walked through dark winding hallways before arriving in a room without windows.

Grey walls surrounded the small square room and the enforcers forced Megatron to sit in front of a table.

Most of the enforcers filed out, save for the black and white holding the fusion cannon, which he set against the wall.

"Careful with that." Megatron stated, casting a look to the mech. "It's new."

"It won't be of much use." Sentinel Prime stated, striding into the room with an arrogant smirk on his face. He sat down across from Megatron, his blue optics, looking amused as he stared across at the former miner.

"Well...here you are again."

Megatron looked down at the table.

"Afraid? Too afraid to speak up? You should be." Sentinel snapped.

Megatron looked up at him and his optics glared right into Sentinel's.

"Do I look afraid?" He asked.

Sentinel chuckled, a hint of nervousness to his voice.

"You...should be Afraid. Your life, for all it was worth...is over."

"I disagree." Megatron replied.

Sentinel arched an optic ridge.

"Oh really? Spending the rest of your days in a dark cell appeals to you?" The Prime fidgeted with his digits.

"I'm going to be around long after you, Prime." Megatron said, his voice ice cold. "What I've started here...it's going to roll over this planet. And people like you, and your senators, and your master won't be able to stop it."

"My master?" Sentinel asked. "Excuse me?"

"Proteus." Megatron spat. "He's as doomed as you are. You will all face justice. And soon."

Sentinel stood up. He chuckled to himself, rubbing his optics.

He turned and smacked Megatron across the face. "You have some big bearings for a miner."

"That is the mistake which has doomed you." Megatron replied. "You think I'm still the quivering miner that you interrogated in the citadel?"

"This is about Messatine isn't it?" Sentinel asked. "You're upset because we had to gun down those miners? They killed a senator..."

"And I'll kill a thousand more." Megatron spat out, hatred in his voice. "This is bigger than Messatine, bigger than Terminus, this is bigger even than you, Sentinel Prime." He rustled his chains. "Functionism is a disease and I am the cure. I'm going to tear down everything you and your senate have done, I will carry out the people's will."

"You will not." Sentinel snapped. "Because this little decepticon revolution of yours is over! You will never see the light of day again!"

Megatron let out a laugh, a metallic, spine tingling laugh that caused Sentinel Prime's optics to widen.

He was shaking as he laughed, and clanged his chains against the table.

"Enough!" Sentinel shouted.

"OVER?!" Megatron asked. "This isn't over for you until I'm standing over your greying form, watching the energon drain from your body. Until i get to watch the last moments of sentience drip away from your cold dead spark. Then, Sentinel Prime, this will be over."

"I'm having you placed in solitary confinement." Sentinel hissed. "I've had enough of you, and so has Cybertron."

"Cybertron can't get enough of me." Megatron replied. "My decepticons are everywhere sentinel."

There was a charging sound in the side of the room and Sentinel turned to see a gun pointed at his head.

"I'm afraid he's right sir." The enforcer stated.

"Officer Barricade?" Sentinel asked. "What is the meaning of this?"

Barricade smirked as he placed a decepticon badge on his chest.

"Like He said. We're everywhere." He pressed a button on his arm.

The shackles beeped, then came undone from Megatron's limbs. He stretched, standing up, and turning to glare at Sentinel Prime.

He stepped towards the Prime, whose wide optics betrayed his terror.

"You...you gonna just kill me here? Like this?" Sentinel asked, reaching for his sword.

A wide grin spread on Megatron's face.

"No. But by the end of all this, you'll wish I had."

Sentinel pulled the sword out of the hilt.

Megatron was quicker. He grabbed the Prime's head, squeezing down on it, and slammed it against the wall of the room.

Sentinel dropped unconscious to the floor.

"Not gonna kill him?" Barricade asked. "Seriously? Should just stomp him out now."

"No." Megatron replied. "I'm not finished with him yet. Let's move."

"Hold on boss." Barricade replied. He picked up the fusion cannon, and handed it to Megatron.

Megatron smirked as he clicked it back into place.

"Always good to see you Barricade." He said, shaking the smaller mechs hand.

He turned and walked out of the room, with Barricade behind him.

"He's loose!" An enforcer shouted.

Megatron raised his fusion cannon and with one loud, powerful blast, tore a hole through the mechs midsection.

Two more enforcers ran in from the side hall

"Barricade, What are you...?"

Barricade pulled out his police issued pistol and shot them both, quick accurate shots to the chest.

An alarm sounded, as they arrived at the garage.

The door Megatron had scouted out earlier exploded, almost on cue.

Motormaster rolled in, honking his horn.

The paddy wagon that had brought Megatron into the bunker transformed up, to reveal a giant mech, who turned and glared at the decepticon truck.

Motormaster slammed into him, driving him into the back wall.

He transformed up, and the security mech punched him, sending the black purple and silver decepticon flying back across the garage.

Blitzwing came rolling into the garage, with Breakdown rolling beside him.

He fired his tank cannon, blasting apart the giant security mech, who fell back against the wall again.

Megatron raised his fusion cannon and finished him with a blast to the head.

"It's time to go." Blitzwing said, transforming up. "Its a long way to Kaon, and pretty much every senate enforcer on the planet is coming for us."

Megatron looked at the smoking fusion cannon, and then smirked. He changed form into his mining tank.

"Let them come."

* * *

Writes Notes:

I apologize for how long it took to update this story, life has been a bit crazy lately, and work has been getting in the way a lot. Will try to update more frequently.


	21. The Long Road to Kaon

Chapter 21: The Long Road to Kaon

The rusty door slid open, as the storm blew past.

Rust particles were everywhere, and they covered the two mechs as they staggered in.

"Shut it for Primus sakes!" Prowl shouted.

Orion Pax grunted as he struggled to slide the old de-powered door closed.

He wasn't the strongest mech. And this rusted door was proving particularly tricky.

He let out a pained grunt as the rusty blockage broke and the door slammed shut.

Then he turned and nodded breathlessly to Prowl.

"Thanks for the help."

"I provided moral support." Prowl replied with a smirk. "Besides, you're the reason I'm caught up in all this. It wasn't my idea to become chums with decepticons."

"You have regrets?" Orion asked, trying to shake loose the ache in his frame from over-exertion.

Prowl sighed, sitting on a bench in the corner of the room.

"Orion, we're hiding in the sea of rust so that the government doesn't throw us in prison. Do I have regrets? A bunch."

Orion looked out of the thin window, at the swirling rusty sands outside.

"You don't?" Prowl asked, incredulously.

"No." Orion replied. "I believe that their reaction shows their guilt. The government attempted to kill us."

"Yeah and if we didn't start anything, they wouldn't have. That's the whole point. We could still be walking the beat right now."

Orion chuckled at Prowl, as he sat down and relaxed on a metallic chair.

"I would rather spend the rest of my life like this than spend another second serving a corrupt regime. Am I happy to be in this situation? No. But I think we will be able to return one day. And soon."

Prowl looked away and rolled his optics.

"You always were an idealist. Always thinking you were big enough to take on the world and win. Can't even close a rusty door."

"I don't think I can take on the world and win." Orion stated. "I still try. But I don't think I can win."

"Then why do it?" Prowl asked.

Orion smirked as he looked back at the mech.

"Because Megatron can."

* * *

There was a loud choom from the fusion cannon, blasting an enforcer over the edge of the road.

They followed in their car modes, a swarm of enforcers following the handful of decepticons down the main speedway connecting all of Cybertron's major cities.

Megatron trundled along in his tank mode, trying to pick up some speed. Barricade and Breakdown rolled on either side of him, forming a makeshift barrier around their leader, as Motormaster rumbled behind, and Blitzwing flew overhead.

The enforcers fired at the group, with Motormaster allowing his trailer to absorb most of the fire.

The enforcer speeders rumbled past Motormaster and tried to get within striking distance of Megatron.

"These guys are persistent!" Breakdown shouted as he skidded on the highway, turning to face the pursuer. His frontal guns popped up from his hood, unloading on the approaching enforcer, destroying its tires and causing it to spin out.

"We just have to wait them out and keep this pace up." Barricade replied, turning and slamming against another enforcer, pushing it to the edge of the highway and slamming it against the guardrail.

The car changed form as it crashed against the rail, the enforcer letting out a cry as he turned and took aim at Megatron with a hand mounted laser.

Blitzwing fired a rocket from his jet form that blasted the enforcer apart.

"Watch it!" Barricade shouted, spinning and attempting to regain traction, his frame getting showered by debris from the other mech.

"Sorry officer." Blitzwing replied with a petty chuckle. "You cops all look the same."

* * *

Sentinel groaned as he came to, standing up, he saw the empty chains, and let out a roar, punching the table.

His comm system was buzzing. He had missed many calls.

"Sentinel Prime." Proteus practically spat over the comm. "I was under the impression you had captured Megatron."

"I did sir." Sentinel said into his comms.

He turned and opened the interrogation room door, and found a very cross looking Proteus standing there.

"Oh." Sentinel said, turning off his comms. "You're here."

"Why are decepticons cutting a swath of destruction across the main speedway?" Proteus demanded, his voice low, he was forcing himself to remain calm. "And why is Megatron with them?"

"He escaped." Sentinel replied.

"YES I GATHERED THAT!" Proteus shouted. "How?!"

"He had a man on the inside." Sentinel replied. "Barricade. One of my officers." He gritted his teeth. "One of my...best Officers."

"You sure know how to pick them don't you?" Proteus asked sarcastically. "He's not escaping us, I won't have it. Come with me. We're fixing this."

Sentinel nodded, following the senator out of the room.

"How bad is the damage?" Sentinel asked one of the enforcers.

"4 enforcers dead in the station, 5 more on the roads trying to stop them. They've formed a sort of protective formation around their leader." The enforcer stated. "Ground attacks have been fruitless."

Sentinel nodded. "Ground and pound isn't working. Deploy the air vanguard. I want them bombarded."

Proteus turned and glared at Sentinel.

"Do you have any idea how important that speedway is to Cybertronian economy?!"

"Senator, this is where you need to trust me, and my military." Sentinel stated. "You worry about the economics later, all of it is in danger if Megatron still lives by nights end."

Proteus glared at him through narrow optics.

"Very well Prime. Do not fail."

Sentinel nodded. The senator turned and stormed away.

"We're scrambling the jets!" One of the enforcers shouted. "They're on attack approach."

* * *

"That's not a good sound." Breakdown muttered as he rumbled along the highway.

The sound of jet engines taking off surrounded the air around them. Even their own chorus of engines could barely be heard over the noise.

"Keep your wits about you, decepticons. They've deployed the vanguard fliers!" Megatron warned.

"Guys...I don't mean to cause concern but...I'm a much better tank than I am a jet. I don't fly much." Blitzwing said nervously. "I've never really flown in combat."

"First time for everything." Megatron replied.

The jets filled the night sky, diving down toward the decepticon convoy.

"Aw Crap." Motormaster muttered.

"Stay in formation." Megatron commanded. "These cowards will not best us."

The fliers pulled up slightly, and unleashed a volley of laser fire on the highway, tearing into it, blasting massive chunks into the air.

It pounded around the vehicles, which scrambled out of the way.

"Stay strong!" Megatron commanded. He opened a comm link. "Decepticons, I need air support!"

One of the lasers hit Breakdown directly.

He let out a cry as he was flipped off his wheels, and began rolling along the highway.

He changed form as he rolled, skidding to a stop, he turned to see the decepticons continuing.

Three enforcers broke off and surrounded the injured mech.

"HANDS! I WANNA SEE HANDS!" The largest of the enforcers demanded, gun raised.

Breakdown let out a sigh, spitting out some energon and put his hands up.

"We Lost Breakdown!" Motormaster shouted.

"We can't go back for him." Megatron replied. "Not yet."

"They'll kill him!" Motormaster insisted.

"No they won't." Megatron replied confidently, noticing some helicopters flying above. "The media is here. All of Cybertron is watching. Breakdown will be fine."

There was a wail from above.

Three familiar jets streaked down into the swarm of fliers, knocking a few off course.

"Let's give them a show." Megatron hissed, watching them engage the vanguard.

"Clear the skies!" Starscream shouted, gunning down the others planes as he streaked over Megatron and the convoy.

Skywarp and Thundercracker broke off, engaging other planes.

"We have hostiles in the air! Decepticon seekers!" The vanguard commander shouted, rolling to avoid the three fliers. "WE NEED BACK..."

"Oh you'll need more than that." Skywarp sneered, blasting his main engine.

The jet dove downward, sliding by Blitzwing, and clipping his wing.

"SLAG!" Blitzwing shouted, trying to regain control, as the vanguard commander missed the speedway completely, and plummeted into the undergrid miles below.

"I'm going down! I need help!" Blitzwing shouted, his jet mode wobbling.

"Change modes!" Thundercracker shouted.

It was too late. Blitzwing crashed against the speedway, multiple enforcer cars plowing into his alt mode as he skidded across the pavement.

"Keep going!" Blitzwing shouted, changing form, and immediately being pinned down by enforcers.

"STAY DOWN DECEPTICON SCUM!"

"Dammit!" Megatron shouted, roaring ahead. "Keep a tight formation! We lose no one else today! Astrotrain, we need an extraction! Soon!"

"Megs, if we get extracted now, they'll be able to track us." Barricade warned. "Too many enforcers on our tail."

"Very well." Megatron replied irritably. "Break formation."

"What?!" Motormaster demanded.

"Break formation! Now!" Megatron commanded.

Motormaster smashed an enforcer out of the way, then slid off to the side, leaving Megatron exposed.

The enforcers engines roared, as they closed in on the slow, and exposed mining tank.

Three of them surrounded him.

Sentinel smirked as he watched in Proteus's office.

"It's over. Kill him! Kill him now!" Sentinel shouted into his comm.

Megatron suddenly slammed on the brakes.

The car behind him slammed into his tank treads, getting chewed up underneath them, while the cars on either side turned and skidded out, one of them sliding off into the undergrid, while the other rolled.

Megatron spun around to face the oncoming convoy of enforcers.

And he changed form, rising up, he stared at them as they approached.

Red optics burning with intensity.

"What is he doing?!" Proteus demanded.

Megatron turned and looked at the news helicopters. Then he raised his fusion cannon.

"You cannot defeat an idea." He hissed.

His fusion cannon exploded outward, a purple beam destroying two of the oncoming enforcers.

He dragged the beam along the speedway, tearing apart the first row of cars, blasting them apart, taking sections of the speedway with them.

The second wave slowed down and transformed, weapons raised.

He raised the fusion cannon, feeling it overheat on his arm, as he continued firing, the beam cutting through each enforcer.

Shots rang out as enforcers fired at the decepticon Commander.

He let out a groan as the shots hit his midsection, sending metal fragments flying aside. He dropped to his knee, keeping the fusion cannon raised, and continuing to fire.

The beam was practically melting his own arm metals it was so hot.

Each second the beam fired it cut through more enforcers, as another laser round hit his shoulder, and cut into his frame.

He dropped the fusion cannon down, smoke pouring from it.

"He's down! We have him!" One of the approaching enforcers shouted, gun raised.

Laser fire poured down from above.

The jets streaked overhead, the three seekers bombing the ground ahead of their fallen master.

Megatron smirked.

"This is not the power of a Prime!" He shouted, turning to the news helicopters. "THIS IS GREATER THAN THE POWER OF ANY PRIME!"

Astrotrain lumbered across the sky, and dove down toward the speedway, his ramp opening.

The decepticons charged inside, and Megatron stared at the news helicopters a moment longer, before turning and joining them.

The ramp shut, and Astrotrain lifted away from the speedway.

Megatron stared down at the destruction he had wrought.

"They see now." He stated.

"Won't they be horrified?" Astrotrain asked. "You just killed...a lot of people. Mass murder on tv probably won't bring in a ton of volunteers."

"Some of them will turn away. Some will be disgusted." Megatron replied. "The proper ones. The ones we could never persuade. But some will be intrigued. No one has ever resisted a Prime before, Astrotrain. No one has ever taken a stand against them. Not until tonight." He looked at the other, wounded decepticons. "Tonight...we changed the world."


	22. The Scientist

Chapter 22: The Scientist

Astrotrain coasted down toward the dark, inconspicuous warehouse on the lower side of Kaon.

The doors slid open as he approached, touching down inside, the door swiftly closed again.

Megatron stepped out, Barricade, Motormaster, and the seeker trine standing around him.

"Where are the others?" Soundwave asked.

"Breakdown and Blitzwing were captured." Megatron replied, favoring the wounds on his frame. "But our point was made. Sentinel Prime will take us seriously from this point onward."

"Oh thank Primus..." Frenzy muttered, sitting on a pile of energon cubes. "Here I was worried this was going to be easy."

"We gotta spring Blitzwing and Breakdown before they do something to em." Brawl said nervously. "Don't know what kind of nastiness those functionists could do to em."

"We will free our brothers soon." Megatron stated. "We must rest first, and repair the damage done."

"You will wish to see the news." Soundwave stated, walking towards a large monitor in the room.

Megatron walked behind him, still gripping his wounds.

"I see you got the new hideout set up quickly." Megatron commented.

Soundwave was silent, activating the monitor.

Sentinel Prime was on the screen, sitting in what appeared to be an office.

Megatron smirked. "Freshly painted." He noticed. "So no one can see the dents I gave him."

"My fellow Cybertronians, I regret to inform you in this hour, that a terrorist division, masterminded by the fugitive Megatron, killed several agents of cybertron's law enforcement in the early morning hours." Sentinel stated, staring into the camera. "His group is called the decepticons, and they are wider spread than we initially feared. They threaten all of our way of life and are unapologetic enemies of the people. Rest assured, we will hunt them down, and they will face justice for their crimes. But in order to prevent any more violent acts like the one today, I am initiating a planet-wide level of alert. Starting at 1 hour before sundown, all cybertronians are to be off the street. Martial law will be in effect at nighttime hours. Anyone found on the street will be assumed to be an ally of the decepticons, and their freedom, and potentially their life, will be seen as forfeit by law enforcement. Any who wear the decepticon badge, or align with those who do, are allowed one single chance to surrender themselves to the nearest police outpost. You will not be harmed. Any attempts to resist this clampdown will result in violent force. Rest assured Cybertron, we will end this threat to your safety." Sentinel stated coldly.

"Stay off the streets past curfew, and report any suspected decepticon activity, and you will be unharmed. All civilians must also carry proof of function with them at all times, as alt mode checkpoints will be in effect. Till all are one."

Megatron smiled as the picture changed, and returned to local news.

"I struggle to see what is positive about this, Megatron." Soundwave stated.

"When tyrants are threatened, they lean on their authoritarianism. I knew if I proved that I was a proper threat, Sentinel Prime would react like this. This will only strengthen our cause Soundwave. The government is cracking down on the populace as a whole. When the people fear their own government...they will turn to us."

"Megatron!" Hook called from a higher platform in the warehouse. "Shockwave wants to talk to you."

Megatron frowned, turning to face the sorta medic.

"Is he...capable?"

"He can speak." Hook replied. "Though he isn't keen to talk to me. He asked for you."

Megatron nodded, walking past the green medic, and climbing up to the medical area.

Shockwave was laid out on a berth. His single optic staring straight up at the ceiling.

"Shockwave? Can you see me?" Megatron asked, leaning over him. "How do you feel?"

"Feel?" Shockwave asked, turning his optic to Megatron. It almost sent a shiver up the miner's spinal column. "I feel...cold." He stated.

"I can have some heating columns brought over." Megatron replied.

"No." Shockwave replied. "You misunderstand." He sat up and stared at him. "Yes, to answer your first question, I can see you. I can see. But...all that I see is so...sterile. Devoid of...feeling. Of warmth. I see this room for what it is. Not what it represents. It is...complicated."

"I think I understand." Megatron replied.

"I could see more than this...I had...a face. Optics. I could see things as they were but also...I made mistakes. Warmth got in the way. Sentiment." He looked at Megatron closely. "Emotion. It clouds everything, makes it hard to see what must be done. But I can see now. Clear as day."

"What do you see?" Megatron asked.

"I see what must be done." Shockwave replied. "And only, what must be done."

"And what is that?" Megatron urged, sitting next to Shockwave's bedside.

Shockwave's optic followed him as he moved.

"In order for Cybertron to live...the senate must die." He stated emotionlessly. "It is not just because of what they have taken from me..." he looked at the empty slot where his hand had been. "No. Personal feelings...are a mistake. It is for Cybertron."

"And will you fight at my side?" Megatron asked.

Shockwave looked up at him.

"Loyalty is blind. I can see. It would be antithetical to pledge loyalty to you. However, I do believe I owe you as much. You rescued me from death. And our interests do align." He stood up slowly, and looked at Megatron.

"They painted me purple." He continued. "They meant it as a condemnation. They see me as a decepticon. So a decepticon I shall be."

Megatron stood up with him and they came face to face.

"I will serve you, Megatron." Shockwave stated.

Megatron smirked.

"Welcome home, Shockwave." He said, holding out his hand.

Shockwave stared down at it, as though the gesture was entirely alien to him. Then he grabbed it with his one remaining hand, and shook it slowly.

* * *

"You failed." Senator Proteus stated, staring down through the glass wall of his office, at the worried looking senators, as they went about the business of the day.

"I underestimated him." Sentinel Prime stated, standing uncomfortably in the back of the room. "It will not happen again."

"So you say. But this was not the first time you underestimated him, was it? After all, most thought him dead after the Messatine incident, is that not correct?" Proteus asked, resting his head against his hand. "You reported him deceased."

"I thought I found his body. Based on something he told me yesterday during his brief interrogation however...I searched the morgue again. The body recovered was not Megatron's, but the body of an older mining tank named Terminus. When I gave Prowl the order to gun down the miners, one of them stood at the front, a Uniter. He spoke for the group. I thought this was Megatron."

"But it wasn't." Proteus snapped. "You failed. You continue to fail. You killed an elderly miner, and lit a fire under the younger, stronger one. Did they have any kind of relationship?"

"I believe Terminus served as a mentor to Megatron. He seems...quite unhappy with the mech's death."

"Primus...REALLY?! Imagine that!" Proteus shouted, hurling a datapad against the wall. "You wiped out his entire mining company, every last useless one, and spared the strongest! You allowed this problem to grow, to spread! I'm having serious doubts about the future of your Primacy, Sentinel."

Sentinel gritted his teeth under his faceplate.

"It will end. Soon." He stated. "I will end it personally. Tomorrow I'm dispatching a large platoon of soldiers to Kaon. I will lead them."

"Excellent. I'll be hosting an emergency meeting in Kaon, perhaps we should do that BEFORE you declare war on the whole province! Proteus snapped.

"I won't declare war." Sentinel stated. "It's a show of force. One that I seriously doubt Megatron will be able to resist. If I occupy Kaon, he's going to attack, and this time I'll be ready for him."

"See that you are." Proteus insisted. "If you fail me again, don't bother returning to Iacon. I will find a new Prime."

Sentinel Prime walked out of the office, and waited for the door to seal behind him.

Then he turned and began punching the wall, letting out roars of anger and frustration, he pulled out his sword and slashed deep cuts into the metal wall, then angrily shoved the sword back into its sheath and stormed out.


	23. Preparations

Chapter 23: Preparations

Megatron opened his comm link, finding a quiet corner of the warehouse, away from the other decepticons.

"How is the sea of rust?" He asked.

"It's not as bad as you'd think. Prowl's getting restless though." Pax said with a light chuckle. "He doesn't like being stuck here."

"He'll be free to return soon. You both will." Megatron replied.

"Based on what we saw on the news I'm not so sure." Orion replied worriedly. "This clampdown...it sounds like Sentinel is willing to go to any length to shut you down."

"And that will be his downfall, Orion. He wants it too badly. The people will see how far he's willing to go."

"And how far are you willing to go?" Orion asked, his tone hardening a little. "Half the news we get here was talking about sentinel, the other half was talking about your highway chase."

"Pax..." Megatron said, voice lowering.

"Don't. Look...I never said I agreed with your methods." Orion said. "I just...try not to think about the fact that you're actually waging a war with the enforcers. Actually...killing them."

"They're corrupt Pax. They work for a corrupt Prime. And a corrupt senate. I understand you don't want to hear this, and I won't try to justify it anymore than this but...they are our enemies. They would kill or arrest us on sight. We cannot hold back."

"I guess I'm just glad it's you waging that war and not me." Pax said with a sigh. "I'd be a lousy soldier, I'm not sure I'd be able to ever go through with it. You're made of sterner stuff."

"Who knows, Pax?" Megatron replied. "Maybe you'll surprise yourself one day. But I hope not. I do this so that bots like you and others never have to fight again. That is my ultimate goal."

"I respect that, Megatron." Pax replied, sounding satisfied. "I wish you success my friend. Though I'd prefer if you not give me the details of how you succeed if you win."

"When, Pax. Not if. When." Megatron replied with a smirk. "Tell Prowl you'll be back home soon. We've almost won. Keep safe."

"You too." Pax replied, and he cut the connection.

"Can we go home yet?" Prowl asked. "These ration packs are the definition of culinary mediocrity."

Orion chuckled. "You'd make a lousy soldier too."

* * *

"You trust him." Soundwave stated, standing next to the monitor. "You think he will rule when all is said and done?"

"I hope so." Megatron replied. "I have no desire to become a politician but Pax...he's perfect for it. I believe, and don't tell him I said this...he could be the first true Prime."

"No." Soundwave said immediately, angrily. "Anyone who wears the Primacy is tainted. Anyone who touches it, corrupted. The matrix is a curse."

"You sound so superstitious Soundwave." Megatron teased. "A Prime is just like any other cybertronian."

"A Prime claims superiority over all cybertronians." Soundwave snapped. "I will never serve under a Prime. When Sentinel Prime falls he will be the last Prime. If there is another, I will continue fighting. Resisting."

"Such fire in you Soundwave. I admire it." Megatron stated, grimacing as he felt more pain in his chassis. "You wish for a democracy then?"

"Yes. A democracy." Soundwave replied. "Where we make the decisions, not some higher tyrant."

Megatron sat down, the pain a little overwhelming.

"You don't trust Pax, do you?" He asked.

"He seems of good spark. But ask yourself Megatron...can you trust anyone who has served a Prime?"

Megatron reflected on this for a moment.

"I trust him Soundwave. And I am your commander. Is my word enough for you?"

Soundwave was silent a moment, staring at the mech.

"Yes." He stated. "Of course, Megatron."

"Megatron." Shockwave stated, walking over.

Megatron stood up to greet him.

"Shockwave, I hope you're acclimating to your new living space." He said, gesturing to the dark warehouse around them.

"I am." Shockwave replied. He held up a blaster that stuck out of the slot where his hand had been removed. "I took the liberty of arming myself, and while doing so, analyzed your chassis. You are in urgent need of repair, and extra armor shielding."

Megatron frowned.

"You...analyzed my chassis?"

"I did a tactical analysis, yes." Shockwave replied. "I need some raw materials but...I believe I can upgrade you, Megatron. Your alt mode, plating, power levels."

"I am a miner." Megatron replied, standing up slowly. "No matter what conquest awaits me, I will always be a miner. A k-class mining tank. Though I leave the mines behind, I do not wish to forget what I was."

"I can turn you into a combat tank, Megatron." Shockwave stated. "All I require is your permission, and some raw materials."

Megatron looked down at his battered, shot up body.

"A combat tank, you say?" He asked.

* * *

"How long has he been in there?" Brawl asked.

"Hours now." Swindle replied. "I dunno what he was thinkin, I wouldn't let that one eyed freak anywhere near me. He probably just swapped heads. Get used to one eyed Megatron walking out of that door people, it's coming."

"That's ridiculous!" Starscream snapped. "Utterly ridiculous! Megatron with one optic would be a tactical and strategic deficiency, he would have to step down. And then the decepticons would need a new commander and of course it would have to be me..."

"The decepticons have a Commander." Soundwave stated flatly.

"You are such a killjoy." Starscream grumbled.

There was a clanking sound.

Then the door hissed open, and the decepticons turned to look at it, optics wide.

Shockwave stepped our first, optic not even looking at them as he got out of the way.

Megatron walked behind him. His frame, a brighter shade of grey, almost silver.

His decepticon silhouette larger, more imposing. He himself looked bigger, bulkier.

Giant tank treads hanging off his back, small missile launchers hanging from his shoulders. Extra armor plating all over, especially around his chest.

He stared out at the decepticons with the same cold, red optics.

"Victory is at hand my decepticons. An army of functionist enforcers are en route to Kaon. It is time to put our final plan in motion." He stared across the sea of faces he had come to know well. "Prepare for battle."


	24. Acid Rain

Chapter 24: Acid Rain

The doors to the massive hall opened, and the lights flickered on, showering the circular room with light.

The senators spread out, to their comfortable seats, while at the highest chair in the room, Senator Proteus let out a grumble of annoyance and took his own, larger seat.

"Senators, welcome to Kaon." Proteus stated. "I won't take up too much of your time, but it is my sworn duty to inform you all that we are in a crisis. An insurrection by a terrorist group known as the decepticons has caused widespread dissent across the planet." He looked at a datapad. "We arrested 8,500 cybertronians across the planet today. They were all protesting our rule, shutting down roads, businesses."

He rested his helm against his hand wearily as he read the details of the datapad.

"Close to 1,000 others have been arrested on suspicion of aligning with the decepticons. Needless to say our jails and police stations are...bursting at the seams."

Senator Momus cleared his throat.

"Isn't this problem being dealt with, Senator? Sentinel Prime just marched into Kaon with an army of 100. Surely the decepticons will soon be a thing of the past."

"Perhaps." Proteus replied. "However I fear we may have waited too long to crack down on this rogue faction. Their ideas have spread. Megatron's writings have been downloaded across Cybertron. Even after the decepticons themselves have been put down, that will take even stricter enforcement to stamp out."

* * *

Megatron rumbled up to the tower, and changed form, storming toward the front door.

Skywarp fired a single missile from his jet mode, blasting it open, and moments later Megatron strode through.

He walked in, and began climbing the stairs, as the decepticons changed form and poured in behind him, guns raised.

"No." Megatron stated, putting up his hand. "Stay outside the main door. Guard the perimeter. We will likely have company soon."

"Are you sure?" Brawl asked. "I can back you up."

Megatron turned to face the green tank mech.

"Look at me Brawl." He stated, red optics penetrating.

Brawl stared blankly back.

"I am your friend. I have known you longer than anyone here. But I am also your commander. And I will not have my orders questioned publicly, do you understand?"

Brawl paused a moment.

"Of...Of course."

"Don't let it happen again." Megatron hissed.

He turned and climbed the stairs.

"Kill any who approach the tower." He barked.

He climbed the winding stairs, reaching the top, and found a red and yellow mech sitting at the controls.

"You. Get up. Slowly." He commanded, raising his fusion cannon.

Blaster turned around, optics wide, and slowly stood up.

"Aw hell." He said, putting up his hands. "Listen, I dunno what you're tryin to do..."

"My quarrel is not with you." Megatron interrupted. "Leave. Out the back exit, swiftly."

Blaster nodded quickly. "Hey, yeah man, no problem." He said, turning and running down the stairs. "Just try not to mess with the acoustics."

Megatron watched him go, then turned to the console, trying to figure the complicated board out. He began pressing buttons, and the lights flickered on in the room.

There was a slot in the center of the console.

He plugged Soundwave's device into the slot, and power began to serve through the circuits all around him.

The ex-miner sighed deeply, then pulled a lever.

All across Cybertron, the comms systems of every single citizen, in every city, from every walk of life, buzzed, all of them receiving the same call, simultaneously.

It answered without their permission.

"Attention Cybertron. I am Megatron, leader of the decepticons." Megatron stated into the microphone.

"At this point I am sure many of you have heard of me, and the actions I have taken. But you have heard only the council, and the Prime's side of my story." He looked down at his hands, wishing he had written something out on a datapad. Improvisation was not his specialty but this was simply too important of a speech to mess up.

"I'm no monster, Cybertron. I was once like many of you. A worker. A citizen, frozen in place, unable to advance due to my alt mode, stuck in a rapidly dying field of work. Mistreated. Abused. And I know I am not the only one who suffered."

Orion Pax and Prowl both listened as the signal reached their small bunker in the sea of rust.

"I wrote. Wrote my feelings, my beliefs. I...I spoke on datapads the words I had not the courage to say out loud. No longer."

"Where the hell is the signal coming from?!" Sentinel Prime demanded, rumbling across the streets of Kaon, lugging a grey trailer behind him, and leading a massive convoy of enforcers.

"The functionists tell us to do as we are told. To be no more and no less than what we were forged to be. They crush any sign of resistance. But they will not crush us. They cannot crush our spirit."

"I can't pinpoint the source!" One of the enforcers replied. "But there's only one broadcast tower in Kaon."

"Take us there." Sentinel hissed.

"Sentinel Prime tells you to believe in his absolute rule, even as he acts as a stooge, a puppet of the senate. Enacting their will, enforcing it, crushing any who oppose him. You have seen the results of this today, Cybertron. The clampdown. People being arrested on vague charges, peaceful protests being shut down. Sentinel Prime is showing you what he expects from his ideal, functionist Cybertron. Complete and total obedience. I refuse. I will never bow down to the tyranny of the Prime, and neither should any of you. That is why tonight I'm giving you all a choice. A real choice. No fake poll, no rigged vote. A chance to change the way your society is run."

Megatron paused, trying to remember the exact details of Soundwave's system.

"Every comms system has a red button to hang up, and a green button to accept the call." Megatron stated. "It is standard issue. I want you all to look at your comms screen now." He cleared his throat.

"The green button is Sentinel Prime, and his senate." He stated. "The functionists. The red button, is me. I ask you this simple question...who do you trust more? At this very moment?" He stood up from the radio stack. "It is the most important that has ever been asked of you, and I want an honest answer from each of you. Thank you for your time. Till all are one."

He pressed the button on Soundwave's device, ending the audio feed.

"Megatron." Brawl said into the comm. "We have company."

Megatron stepped out of the room, and onto the tower balcony.

His small group of decepticons stood around the tower. And in front of them, a massive throng of black and white.

Enforcers. A hundred strong.

"Decepticons!" One of the enforcers shouted. "Get on your knees! Hands in the air!" Their guns were raised.

"No!" Brawl shouted. "We will not die on our knees, you functionist glitches!"

"Get on YOUR knees!" Swindle added, quickly covering his mouth when he realized how much bigger they were than him. "...sorry."

"Enforcers! Take aim!" The enforcer Commander shouted, raising his own rifle, the others raising theirs in unison. "Fire on my mark!"

"Seekers, scorched metal!" Megatron shouted.

From above the tower, Skywarp and Thundercracker dove down, with Vortex diving down after them.

They changed form, and began pounding the throng of enforcers with missile fire.

"THEY HAVE FLIERS!" The enforcer shouted, before a laser shot blasted his chest.

Megatron jumped down from the tower, and landed in front of his men.

"DECEPTICONS! Charge!" He shouted, raising his fusion cannon and firing it into the throng, tearing apart a pair of enforcers with the blast.

A drizzle of acid rain fell on the fighters, and it picked up as they charged towards each other, the seekers dive bombing the enforcers from above, keeping them off balance.

Megatron made a fist, and a purple energon flail extended out of his arm.

Another courtesy of the chassis Shockwave had designed him. He let out a roar and jumped into the throng of enforcers, swinging the flail around, he brought it smashing down on an Enforcers helmet, cracking it open, then blasting him point blank with the fusion cannon.

* * *

"It appears that Sentinel Prime has engaged the decepticons." Proteus stated. "May Primus be with him."

"How Close is the fighting?" Momus asked.

"Not close at all. The other side of the city." Proteus replied. He looked out at the nervous looking senators. "Fear not, I assure you, we won't be caught up in that fight."

There was a sudden, piercing sound, and the senator's grabbed their audio receptors in pain.

"What in the name of..." Proteus looked around, grimacing as the noise intensified.

"In the corner! The radio!" A security guard shouted.

A small, blue radio sat against the wall in the corner of the room.

It suddenly transformed up, and Soundwave rose, glaring with hatred at them all, as they looked around in fear and surprise.

"Freeze decepticon scum!" The security guard shouted.

Soundwave pressed the button next to his tape deck.

It slid open, and four cassettes fired out.

They transformed in mid air, Rumble, Frenzy, Ravage, and Laserbeak springing forward.

The security guard couldn't even shoot. Ravage had him on the ground, and the guard screamed as the decepticon cat tore into his frame, spattering energon.

There was a blast from above, and the glass ceiling came crashing down, a red and white jet streaking down, transforming into a sneering Starscream.

"Good evening."

Proteus got up and started toward the back door, with several other senators.

It exploded as they approached, sending them flying backward, toward the other decepticons.

And stepping in, through the debris of the ruined door, Shockwave's single optic stared out across the faces of his former colleagues.

"It is agreeable to see you all again." He said, his voice cold as ice, as he strode slowly into the room. He turned, his optic glaring directly into the optics of Proteus, who withered at his gaze.

"Particularly you."

* * *

The decepticons tore through the ever shrinking group of enforcers.

Many of them had been battered, energon from both sides was spilling across the ground, being washed away by the now heavy rain.

But none of the energon was Megatron's.

He let out a triumphant roar as he ripped out the spark of an enforcer, then turned and tore the arm off another with his flail.

But his joy was short lived. He looked around as his decepticons dispatched other enforcers, optics narrowed.

"Where are you, Prime?"

Brawl transformed down into his tank mode and blasted the enforcers as they turned and fled, cutting them down as they ran.

"Wow." Barricade, said, optics wide as he watched them flee. "We...we actually did it. MEGATRON, WE DID IT!"

Megatron glared at them as they fled, his optics scanning the darkness.

"Stay here. Tend to the wounded." He commanded, noticing Motormaster was gushing energon. "I have unfinished business." He stated, stepping forward, toward the darkness.

His pistons fired angrily, and he let out the name of his hatred in one pronounced shout.

"SENTINEL PRIME!"

His voice echoed, cutting through the darkness and the rain.

There was the sound of an engine, as a truck rumbled out of the dark.

Sentinel transformed and stood up, his faceplate sliding into place.

"Megatron." He stated, his trailer disconnecting and rolling off to the side.

"I am pleased to see that you were able to resist your natural cowardice, Prime." Megatron snarled.

"It wasn't cowardice. It was strategy." Sentinel replied. He turned and pressed a button on the Silver trailer. "The Enforcers were just to weaken you." He said, as the trailer transformed and began wrapping around his frame.

He rose up, with the trailer, as it formed an armored suit around him, missile launchers and armor plating rising out of his much larger frame.

He glared down at Megatron with a look of incomparable hatred, and a twinge of fear in his blue optics.

"Are you ready to die, miner?" Sentinel asked.

Megatron smiled.

"You would not believe how long I've waited for this moment."


	25. Hollow

Chapter 25: Hollow

Sentinel Prime's shoulder missiles fired.

Megatron dove out of the way as they hit the ground and exploded behind him.

"Hang on Megatron!" Brawl shouted.

"No!" Megatron put up a hand. "HE'S MINE!"

There was a blast, and Megatron was thrown off his feet, and sent crashing against the ground. Another set of cannons he had not accounted for.

"I see you've been upgraded already." Sentinel noticed. "But this suit was a joint project designed by Wheeljack and Brainstorm. It's a bit...out of your league."

Megatron got up slowly, spitting out energon as he looked up at sentinel.

"We'll see."

He charged forward, unleashing his flail, and slammed it against one of Sentinel's shoulder missile launchers, breaking it off.

"You didn't pay them very much to build it did you?" Megatron asked, punching against the armored metals. "It feels cheap."

Sentinel backhanded him across the face, sending the mech scraping across the surface again.

"You have spark, son." Sentinel said, lumbering over, as Megatron struggled to stand. "I have to admit...after that first time meeting you...I never would've guessed you'd have this in you."

He slammed his armored foot down on Megatron's back, pinning him against the ground, and sending pain shooting through the mech's body.

"But beating up on thugs in a gladiator ring doesn't make you a Prime." He taunted, slamming his foot down on Megatron again.

Megatron began to laugh weakly, as he struggled under the weight of Sentinel and his armor.

"Something funny?" Prime asked.

"You think...I wish to be a Prime?!" Megatron asked.

He raised his arm to reveal a fully charged fusion cannon.

"I only wish to kill one."

He fired, the shot tearing through Sentinel's armor, and sending him staggering back, shards of the armor falling uselessly aside.

Megatron stood up, a demented grin on his face.

"Look at you. So afraid."

He charged forward, and jumped up, punching Sentinel across the face. Sentinel swiped at him, but Megatron ducked, plunging his fist into the Silver armor and ripping another chunk of it out.

"All this armor does is slow you down sentinel. You actually managed to make this easier for me."

He spun around and kicked Sentinel across the face again, cracking his faceplate.

Sentinel was dazed, and before he could recover, another fusion cannon blast, this one destroying his right arm at the shoulder.

The shot went clean through the armor, and had blasted apart Sentinel's own arm underneath. He let out a cry of pain and sank to the ground, his arm falling uselessly aside.

"Enough!" He shouted, firing missiles that went off in different directions.

"Oh no Prime. I'm just getting started." Megatron hissed.

* * *

"Stay seated!" Rumble shouted, punching one of the senators across the face.

"Anyone who attempts to leave will find it futile." Soundwave stated.

"But do please try." Starscream added, grinning as he waved his null rays around.

Shockwave had the attention of the senate as he strode through.

"My honored colleagues. I remember when I sat in these very seats with you." He said, optic gazing out at them. "I remember when you dismissed my science, dismissed my contributions. I remember...your attempt to silence me. You took my face...my hand..." He looked down at his blaster.

"But you can never touch my mind." He hissed. He looked at Proteus. "You thought you would never have to deal with me in these chambers again. You tried to blind me but instead...I can see. Clearer than ever before. I see the truths to what Cybertron is, and what Cybertron needs." He looked out at the panicked faces, and raised his blaster.

"It has been an honor serving you all. But unfortunately, for Cybertron to live...you all must die."

Proteus pulled out a gun.

"Terminate them." Soundwave droned.

His minions charged into crowd, Rumble pounding a Senator into the ground, as Ravage ripped off the head of another.

Proteus turned and headed for the exit, as senators died around him.

There was a loud blast, and purple light burst through the side of his chest, sending debris across the floor. Energon sprayed across the wall.

Proteus collapsed to the ground, gripping his frame. He looked down at the hole in his chest, optics wide. Then he looked at his own energon spattered across the wall, the deep burn masking his fading spark.

"Senator." Shockwave called, his blaster hand smoking.

Proteus turned to face him.

"Shockwave...Senator Shockwave...please..."

"I am no Senator..." Shockwave replied, walking towards Proteus slowly, as he tried to crawl away. "You destroyed Senator Shockwave. And I am grateful for that." Shockwave raised his blaster hand. "But I am ashamed to admit...killing you will bring me some measure of...personal satisfaction."

He fired, blasting apart Proteus's head, sending energon spraying across the wall.

The headless functionist dropped limp to the ground, his body quickly graying.

"Not logical, I know." Shockwave lamented.

"Megatron!" Starscream screamed into the comm. "We have neutralized the senate!"

* * *

Megatron barely heard him. He was beating down on sentinel, tearing out chunk after chunk of his battle armor, hurling pieces aside.

He ripped the main section aside, then pulled Sentinel out of the suit, and hurled him against the ground.

Sentinel pulled out a blaster and turned, but Megatron fired first, his fusion cannon tearing through Sentinel's midsection.

Sentinel let out a cry as debris exploded from his frame, red and yellow metal fragments falling all around him.

He collapsed to the ground, letting out angry groans.

"You...you can't win...Cybertron will never accept a terrorist like you." He spat.

"Is that so?" Megatron asked.

He looked up at the billboard screen that hung near the middle of the broadcast tower.

"I want you to see this, Prime." He said, gesturing to it. "The results are in."

Sentinel weakly leaned over to glare at the billboard.

Sentinel Prime:

The numbers were quickly tallied, and then, revealed on the screen.

48% approval.

"Not...terrible." Megatron said, with a smirk.

Megatron:

The screen flickered multiple times as the votes were counted.

And underneath Sentinel's 48%, a 52% appeared.

Sentinel stared at it in disbelief.

"Wow." Megatron mused. "A terrorist...a terrorist who you claim will never be accepted by your people...is 4% more popular than you."

"Impossible..." Sentinel muttered.

"Oh no." Megatron replied. "Numbers never lie, Prime. Now, it's time I carry out the will of the people..."

He deployed his energon flail, and walked towards the downed Prime.

"Wait..." Sentinel muttered. "I need to know..." he looked up at him, and suddenly looked deep in thought. An idea flickering across his face. "Why are you doing this?"

Megatron frowned.

"You know why. To overthrow your tyranny. To end functionism."

"No." Sentinel replied. "You're a liar Megatron. It's because of Messatine, isn't it?"

Megatron's optics narrowed.

"No."

"Terminus. Wasn't that his name? I mentioned him in your last interrogation and..." Sentinel trailed off, coughing up energon. "You bristled. You're doing this to avenge him aren't you?"

"He's always been part of it." Megatron snarled. "But this is about more than that, it always has been." He raised the flail. "I won't lie Sentinel, thinking of you massacring my brothers and my master on Messatine will bring me some satisfaction from ending you..."

Sentinel began to laugh. "But...my dear humble miner...I was never on Messatine. I didn't lead those enforcers."

Megatron cocked his helm. He had expected something from Sentinel, but not this.

"Of course you did. Who else would have?!"

"Why, Prowl of course!" Sentinel hissed. "Your co-conspirator. Didn't he tell you?"

Megatron's optics widened, the flail still dangling. His mind trying to simultaneously assess and block the new information.

"No."

Sentinel let out a giggle.

"Oh sweet Primus! He never told you! And Orion didn't tell you either?!" He asked, laughing childishly, like he was part of an inside joke not understood. "WOW! Some friends, eh? You'd think giving the order to kill your mentor might come up in conversation!"

Megatron shook his head slowly, repeatedly, and let out an annoyed growl.

"You're a liar." He snarled.

"Am I? Or did you trust the wrong people?" Sentinel teased. "Look it up later. I never set foot on Messatine." He began to laugh, panic and amusement mixed into an unhinged, desperate laugh. "You're a gullible one aren't you? Hilarious that these lost people trust you, when you don't even know who to trust!"

"ENOUGH!" Megatron let out a roar and brought the flail crashing down on Prime's Head.

The laughing ended instantly.

He reared back and hit him again, and again, and again, until there wasn't a head left to smash. He punched the ground in confused rage, energon covering his frame.

He closed his optics and folded the flail away, as his decepticons gathered around.

He looked up at the rain as it poured down. It poured on his frame, and the graying, headless form of the fallen Prime.

Victory. It could not be denied. The senate was gone. Sentinel Prime was dead.

He opened his comm link.

"Orion. It's over. The senate and Prime are dead. It is time to come home." He said, in what almost sounded like a command. His optics narrowed.


	26. Trust

Sorry Chapter 26: Trust

Orion Pax and Prowl rumbled into Iacon in the early morning hours to find little had changed.

People still going to work. Almost no enforcers. No celebrating, no rioting.

The occasional decepticon supporter sporting his badge proudly, but they didn't bother the duo.

They made their way toward the Citadel.

Security checkpoints surrounded the building, guarded by police mechs.

"Hey Prowl. Welcome back." Streetwise said cheerfully as they rolled past. "How's being a wanted man?"l

"I dunno." Prowl replied. "Are you arresting us?"

"Nah, the new guy's actually a friend of yours, he already cancelled your warrants."

Orion frowned. "New guy?"

"Yeah. He's already slated to replace Sentinel Prime. Bureaucracy works quickly when it wants to." He gestured to the garage door. "He's waiting for you."

They walked in through the garage and took an elevator up to the main level.

"Well look at you two." A blue and gold, rather large mech said with a smile as they walked out onto the concourse. He had ceremonials medallions on his chest, and a regal staff in his hand.

"Zeta Minor. I can't believe it." Orion said, embracing his old friend, a wide smile on his face the likes of which hadn't been seen in some time. "You're in line for the Primacy?!"

"I'm being sworn in within the next hour." Zeta replied. "Soon I will be Zeta Prime. I'll be going about the task of...replacing the dead senate." He said a bit uncomfortably.

Pax nodded, walking next to the taller mech.

"I hope you put a lot of thought into it. We have to get this right."

"Nah I was thinking I'd just pick names out of a hat." Zeta replied sarcastically. "Don't worry Pax. This senate won't be like the last one. Functionism is over, I'm abolishing it in my first speech. I'm also changing the name of the Primal Vanguard."

"Oh?" Optimus asked. "I'm surprised. They've been around a long time. You're gonna probably upset some veterans."

Zeta shook his head. "I know. Can't keep the name. Not after the Clampdown. It ruined their reputation. The ruling party on Cybertron can't look like a...a gestapo. We need a new image. And a few years back, you provided the inspiration for that image..."

Zeta reached over into a case on one of the desks, and pulled out a pair of red badges.

"Take these." He said with a smile, revealing that he was already wearing one.

"This is...the badge of the ancient..."

"Yep." Zeta replied. "Sure is."

"My speech to the senate..." Orion breathed. "You listened to it?"

"It inspired me." Zeta replied. "Smile Pax. Two years ago you declared yourself an Autobot. Today...we're all Autobots."

He gestured around the office.

The other mechs, staff and security, were wearing the autobot badge as well.

"And tell your buddy Megatron...I owe him a drink." Zeta said with a wry grin.

"Zeta Minor! The elders are waiting." An old, red and purple mech with a long, flowing metal beard called out. "Your rite of Primacy awaits."

"Thank you, Trion." Zeta replied. "I have to go." He said, nodding to Orion and Prowl. "Stay out of trouble." He warned with a smile, happily turning to meet his destiny.

* * *

"All our work...all the lives taken...the energon shed...and we will still suffer under the heel of a new Prime." Soundwave said sadly, staring at the giant screen in front of him.

"He's better than Sentinel, from all accounts I've heard." Megatron replied.

"Anyone would be better than Sentinel." Starscream muttered. "I would be a better Prime than Sentinel..." he trailed off, imagining himself as a Prime. "I would make an excellent Prime..."

"You're an excellent fool." Megatron snapped rudely. "Now go find something else to do, Soundwave and I have business to attend to."

Starscream glared at Megatron, and wandered off cursing under his breath.

All around them, the warehouse was abuzz. The decepticons were drinking heavily and celebrating their triumphant toppling of the functionists, as well as the return of Blitzwing and Breakdown, who had been released by Zeta Minor.

"What do you need?" Soundwave asked.

"I need Sentinel Primes whereabouts exactly five months ago, tonight."

"Why does it matter?" Soundwave asked. "Sentinel Prime is dead..."

"Do as I command Soundwave." Megatron replied sternly.

Soundwave began typing into the computer, as Megatron stood alongside him.

"It has him registered as...being on a shuttle to Messatine."

"He lied then." Megatron said with a smile of satisfaction. "He ordered Terminus' death."

"There's something else here..." Soundwave stated. "Bodycamera footage, from one of the enforcers on the ground. From the shooting."

"Show me." Megatron commanded. "Onscreen."

The screen lit up, and they were staring at a pointed rifle, aimed at a group of defiant miners, standing in the snow.

"We have several angles." Soundwave stated. "Four different soldiers had their cameras functioning. The others apparently did not."

"Whoever is closest to Terminus" Megatron replied.

"Listen to me!" A voice shouted through a loudspeaker. "If you surrender the senator now, we will listen to your grievances! Only if you surrender right now!"

"That voice..." Megatron said, his frame growing cold. "Damn this camera, why won't it show who's giving the orders?!"

"What does that sound like lads?" Terminus' voice boomed. "It sounds like we are being deceived. Your deception is wasted on us officer!"

The camera panned to see Terminus.

And across from him, in black and white paint, barely in frame, stood what appeared to be Prowl.

"WE ARE BEING DECEIVED! WE ARE BEING DECEIVED!" The miners chanted.

"No..." Megatron breathed.

He watched the soldiers group in around Prowl as he argued over the comm.

With each step the soldiers took, it became more clear. Prowl was in command.

He was having an animated discussion. He was stressed. It was evident on his face. Then he dropped his loudspeaker, shoulders slumped.

"Fire." 

Megatron's spark dropped. He stared into the monitor, then turned and walked away as the gunfire rang out, striking down the miners, including his mentor.

"No..." Megatron muttered. "No no...DAMMIT NO!" He slammed his fist through the monitor, breaking it instantly.

But leaving the image on the screen.

Prowl, standing beside his soldiers as they massacred the miners. Even through the cracks, it was clearly visible.

"My lord..." Soundwave began.

"I have somewhere I need to be." Megatron stated, storming off. "Soundwave, you have command until I return." He said, transforming down into his tank mode.

He opened his comm, as he rolled out of the warehouse.

"Orion. I'm assuming you are no longer a fugitive?" Megatron asked.

"No, none of us are. Not even you. Not even after...last night." He said, sounding a bit apprehensive.

"I apologize Pax. It was the only way." Megatron stated.

"I know." Pax replied. "It doesn't make it right but...I understand you did what you had to."

"Pax...we need to set up a debrief. I'll send you coordinates." Megatron said, as he rumbled across the bumpy Kaon road.

"Very well. I'll be there." Pax replied.

"And Orion? Bring Prowl."


	27. Justice

Chapter 27: Justice

The meeting was where it all began.

The Pit. Lower Kaon. The old arena. The ashes from which Megatron rose.

Orion Pax stood anxiously alongside the pit, his pedes hanging over the edge of it. Prowl sat alongside him.

"He's not usually late." Prowl noted. "I always respected that about him."

"You respect the weirdest things about people." Orion noted with a chuckle.

"That's not weird. Showing up on time is a good thing. It's reliable. People who are late to things annoy me."

"I'm almost always late." Pax muttered.

"It almost always annoys me." Prowl replied. "This is Megatron's first time being late though, so I'll give him a chance."

"Thank you Prowl." Megatron stated, rolling through his old entrance, in his tank form.

He transformed up and nodded to them.

"Wow." Pax noted. "That's one hell of an upgrade."

"It certainly is. Shockwave actually performed it." Megatron stated proudly.

"How is he?" Prowl asked. "I heard Proteus messed him up bad."

Megatron's optics shot to Prowl like a snake toward its prey.

"He'll never be what he was...but he is a brilliant mind. He's an excellent asset to the decepticon cause."

"What's next for the decepticon cause?" Orion asked. "You've won. Cybertron is free."

"Indeed." Megatron replied. "I suppose that's what we are to discuss." He said, staring up at the decepticon badge in the corner of the room. "You remember how this began, yes?"

Orion and Prowl exchanged glances.

"I came to you. To help you." Orion stated. "Your writing...it inspired me. It had inspired me for years. When I found out you were alive..."

"How did it begin for me?" Megatron interrupted.

"Messatine." Prowl stated.

Megatron turned around to face him.

"What an excellent guess Prowl. Indeed...Messatine is where the war began for me."

"I'm sorry..." Orion said sadly. "I know you lost a lot of friends that day..."

"I lost so much more than that." Megatron replied with a humorless chuckle. He turned to Prowl. "Of course, for you that wasn't a guess, was it? Not really."

Prowl frowned. "I...don't know...what you..."

"Turbofox got your tongue?" Megatron asked with a very dry chuckle. "Primus, spit it out mech, before you choke on it."

"You don't tell jokes." Pax noted. "You okay Megs? Celebrate a bit too hard?"

"Hah! No, I don't drink." Megatron replied. "Unfortunate, as you seem like a person it would be enjoyable to drink Engex with."

"You should see him drink, he just drops to the floor and crawls around for hour, he's as lightweight as it gets." Prowl said with a chuckle.

"Now that's a fun mental picture." Megatron said with a cold chuckle. "But Prowl, my question will not go unanswered. Was it a guess?" His optics stared teasingly at the black and white mech, he was still smiling.

"I mean...it could be a guess..."

"DO NOT DARE LIE TO ME!" Megatron suddenly shouted, causing both bots to jump. "We are friends yes? All of us. We have been. Now is the time for truth, yes?"

Prowl and Orion exchanged another look.

"Prowl..." Orion began.

"Let him speak, Orion, he is trying to do that which friends do." Megatron snapped, glaring a truly hate filled glare at Pax. "He is trying to be HONEST."

"I commanded the unit that was ordered to pacify the uprising." Prowl admitted. "Sentinel Prime was with me. I...I didn't know what I'd be up against..."

"But you knew when you arrived didn't you?" Megatron asked, taking a single step forward. "A group of unarmed miners."

"...holding a senator hostage." Prowl finished. "My job was to make sure Senator Decimus got out alive."

"You failed at that too then." Megatron said through gritted teeth. "You...gave the order that sentenced...my brothers...and the only mech who ever gave a damn about me...to die."

"He wasn't the only one who gave a damn." Orion stated, stepping toward Megatron. "We're your friends. We care, we have from the start."

"Are you?!" Megatron spat at Orion. "Do?! You?!" He turned shaking his head angrily. "I...I always wanted to think you were. I see...so much of myself in you. I always have. I always envisioned you being my second in command...my strongest ally. Even someone as small, as WEAK as you...that was the influence you had on me." He turned toward the wall of the pit. "I trusted you." He suddenly punched a hole in the wall. "I TRUSTED BOTH OF YOU!"

Orion and Prowl both took a step back, seeing the rage radiate off the mech.

"But you never told me about Prowl. And I KNOW that you knew."

Orion opened his mouth, then closed it.

"I...I knew it would upset you...I was..."

"Protecting our alliance." Megatron finished. "So I would fight this revolution for you, so you wouldn't have to throw your own pathetic frame into the fire, SO THAT I WOULD FIGHT A WAR FOR YOU!"

"No." Pax replied. "Protecting my friends. You, and Prowl. I couldn't have it come between us. I couldn't have it jeopardize what we are. We have the power to change Cybertron together." He paused, catching his breath. "I'm sorry."

Megatron nodded at his apology.

"I want to forgive you Pax. I truly do." He turned and began pacing the pit. "The war began for me that day, you see this now, yes?" He said, face saddened. "I couldn't turn it off, I couldn't escape from it. That...loss. Burning your spark, you know? The war began the day I lost Terminus. And it isn't over yet."

"It is." Pax replied. "The functionists are over. Cybertron is free."

"Megatron, I'm sorry." Prowl said, pushing past Orion. "I'm sorry. I was pressured. Sentinel was in my audio, he was ordering me to..."

"You were following orders?" Megatron asked, his anger levels visibly rising. "That is your excuse? Those who commit atrocities while following orders are still guilty!" He shouted.

"I'm sorry!" Prowl shouted. "The faces...the faces of the miners...it still haunts me. I still suffer with it...I'm not some heartless bureaucrat, I'm not a senator, I'm not Sentinel Prime! I'm not just sorry I killed Terminus, I'm sorry I killed those miners, I'm sorry I ever set foot on that goddamn ice planet!"

Megatron was silent for a moment. Refusing to look at Prowl or Orion, he stared at the floor of the pit.

"We have to move past this Megatron." Orion stated. "We can accomplish so much together. You know we can. For Cybertron."

Megatron turned to them, and slowly began to nod.

"You're right Pax. We have to make amends. We are stronger together than apart. I just...need to end the war. To bring my spark peace. And I...I need both of you to help me. Help me find peace. Help me end the war."

"How?" Pax asked. "Tell me how we can fix this Megatron."

Megatron turned around, his optic glaring at them both.

Then he raised his fusion cannon and extended it toward Prowl.

"Leave him with me." He commanded. "Let me carry out justice for my fallen master."

Prowl's optics widened.

Orion immediately slid over to stand in front of him.

"I can't let you do that, Megatron."

Megatron was shaking as he glared at them.

"I need you to, Pax." Megatron replied. "Please. Once he has paid for what he has done, then we will have peace. The decepticons mission will end, and I will fall in under Zeta Prime's rule."

"Megatron..." Pax's optics pleaded with the mech. "He's my friend. Don't do this. Please don't do this."

Megatron's face wrinkled with rage.

"I thought I was your friend, Pax."

"You are." Pax replied. "But I won't let you kill him."

Megatron sighed. He closed his optics and lowered the fusion cannon.

"One last chance, Pax."

"Prowl, go." Orion commanded sternly.

"What? I'm not leaving you here with..." Prowl began.

"GO!" Pax shouted. "Straight to the Citadel, no stops."

Megatron raised the fusion cannon and fired.

Prowl jumped aside as it hit the wall behind him, blasting it apart and sending metal fragments flying.

"PRIMUS!" He shouted.

Orion charged forward and punched Megatron across the face, knocking him back a stride.

Prowl turned and climbed out of the pit.

"Stop it!" Orion shouted, pointing at the mech. "You're better than this!"

"Orion..." Prowl called from above.

"Prowl, go! Now!" Orion shouted. "I can talk him down!"

Megatron felt a trickle of energon trailing from his mouth. He looked up at Pax, the glint of deep red in his optics showed that Pax had made a severe mistake.

"I can talk you down, right?" Orion asked nervously.

Megatron let out a roar and punched Orion across the face, sending him crashing against the wall.

As Orion tried to stand, Megatron kneed him in the face, sending a spray of energon across the pit wall.

"You truly are a worthless fighter aren't you?" Megatron asked. "So weak!"

Orion got up slowly, looking at him through a cracked optic.

"I'm not going to fight you." He said, sadness in his voice. "You're my friend."

Megatron chuckled, then punched him again, knocking him back.

"You will fight. Because if not, you will die." He said, lifting Orion up and hurling him across the pit.

Orion spit out energon, gagging on it as he did, then turned and stood up again.

"Please don't do this..."

"AGHHH!" Megatron shouted, charging at the mech, plowing into him and slamming him against the wall.

"FIGHT BACK DAMN YOU!" He shouted, his voice cracking as he did.

"I won't..." Pax replied weakly. "And you won't kill Prowl. I read your writings. I know you, Megatron...this...is not you." He almost sounded like he was begging.

"This is me." Megatron replied, punching him again. "This is what they made me, Pax." He began pounding on the smaller mech's armor, buckling it under his fists, with each massive hit. "SENTINEL PRIME! PROTEUS! PROWL! They made me this!" He swung around and hit Orion with a clothesline so hard that it left an imprint in the floor.

Megatron let out a roar of approval, as he cracked his knuckles, then leaned down and grabbed Orion's weak form by the collar.

He dragged him roughly across the floor of the pit, scraping red paint across the center of it. He hurled Pax against the opposite wall, sparks flying as he did.

Pax purged energon across the floor, stale and dark blue, as Megatron kicked him in the side for good measure.

"You're done, Pax." He said, turning to walk away from the severely beaten mech. "And so is Prowl." He opened a comm link. "Soundwave, deploy Laserbeak, attack vector. Target is a black and white..."

A yell erupted from the corner of the pit.

Megatron turned and got knocked over by Pax charging into him as hard as he could.

The decepticon recovered quickly, getting back to his feet, only to receive two swift punches to the midsection from Orion. One of the punches hooked into Megatron's side and ripped out circuitry.

"You wanted a fight?!" Pax demanded, punching him across the face and knocking him back. "IS THIS WHAT YOU WANTED?!"

Tears of pain and determination were pouring down his face as he pounded Megatron's frame, his small fists doing surprising amounts of damage to the larger mech.

Megatron couldn't even recover, the blows were so quick. He let out a roar, as a punch sent a stream of energon spewing from his mouth, and he was knocked onto his aft.

"YOU're done, Megatron." Pax stated. "You won't kill anyone else. This is over!"

Megatron chuckled, as he stood up slowly, and looked down at the smaller, energon soaked mech.

"This is only the beginning, Pax." He hissed.

Orion charged in to punch him again.

Megatron grabbed his arm as it swung, then viciously pulled, and with an agonizing tearing sound, ripped it out of the mech's socket.

Pax opened his mouth to scream, but before he could, Megatron smacked him across the face with the useless appendage.

Pax was sent reeling back in shock, energon pulsing from his arm slot, pain on his face.

"But I thank you Pax. You've made me realize...I cannot grow complacent. Primes are corrupt. I cannot stand down just because Sentinel and the functionists are gone." Megatron said happily, before punching him across the face again, breaking one of his optics, he lifted the mech up, then slammed him against the floor.

He began beating down, savagely, on the mechs helm.

"Of all the people who had to betray me...WHY DID IT HAVE TO BE YOU?!" Megatron demanded, as Orion's optics flickered, threatening to offline.

He ripped straight through Orion's chestplate, hurling the crumpled red metal aside to reveal the mech's spark.

He stared at it, pulsing in the barely conscious mechs chest, the hatred in him commanding him.

Go on. Just tear it out. Do it. He is your enemy now. Anyone that doesn't wear the purple badge is your enemy now. Kill him.

He blinked and let out a deep breath, feeling the anger leave him as he looked down at the broken mech.

Orion was trying to speak, but he was too battered for any noise to come out. His head had been nearly crushed.

Megatron stood up.

"You were like a brother to me. That's why I will show you mercy, this one time. That same mercy will not be afforded to Prowl." He turned and walked out of the pit. "One day he'll let his guard down, and I'll be waiting.

"Soundwave, send Astrotrain for me." The mech commanded into his comm, hobbling a little, from the injuries he had received. "And send my current location to emergency services. There's a gravely injured mech here."

He turned to look at the beaten mech one last time, laying on the bottom, optics flickering.

"You should've known...no one beats me in my Pit, Orion."


	28. Epilogue

Chapter 28: Epilogue

"Pax? Can you hear me?" A voice called.

So distant, yet so familiar.

Orion's optics onlined slowly. He felt a wave of calm across his frame.

It had been a long time since he had felt this relaxed. He wanted to close his optics again. Let go.

Something felt off about his optics though.

One of them had been replaced, having been damaged beyond repair. He stared up at a shining white light above him. And for a moment everything made sense.

"...Primus?" He asked.

"No." The voice replied, sounding slightly removed. A red hand pushed the light away to reveal a silver face, with a white helm, a bright red chevron running across the top.

"Ratchet..." Pax muttered, feeling returning to his frame. He slowly tried to sit up, but grimaced when he did.

His body was, for lack of a better word, crumpled.

The feeling of intense calm was in large part the work of high grade painkillers.

"How long have I been out?" He asked weakly.

"Almost a day." Ratchet replied. "And the surgeries you've had to go through...well. You're still here, that's all that matters."

"Did you perform them?" Pax asked, as he sipped on a straw that led to an energon cube.

"Pfft. Who else would put you back together?" Ratchet asked with a small smile. "We were planning some fancy new chassis upgrades for you, shoulder cannons, cup holders, Magnus stuff. But Pharma was busy."

"Thank you Ratchet." Pax said with a weak grin. "Shoulder cannons would kill my shoulders. "Where's Prowl?"

"Oh he's around." Ratchet replied. "He stepped out just before you came to."

As if on cue, the black and white mech walked in and smiled as he saw the mech had awakened again.

"Oh thank the maker..." he muttered, collapsing into the chair next to the bed. "I don't...think I could've managed the guilt if you died."

"You're extremely lucky. You very well could have died if those injuries were left untreated." Ratchet stated. "Someone anonymously phoned the emergency line saying you needed help. That you were critical."

"Before you ask, it wasn't me." Prowl stated, hand on his chest. He paused. "I probably should have..."

"Probably." Ratchet muttered, lightly smacking the mech on the back of the helm. "Zeta Prime's inaugural speech is probably going on by now, would you like to watch?"

"Please." Orion replied, as Ratchet flipped the television on, to reveal Zeta Prime standing at a podium, the gold faced mech smiled brightly.

"The events of the last few days...while truly vicious in nature...brought to a close a dark chapter in Cybertron's history. Regardless of my personal opinion, the people of Cybertron made their choice, and they want a better future. I am happy to provide that for them. From this day forward, the functionist government is dissolved, and we will move forward with electing officials for the new senate within the month."

"Not what I would've gone with, but okay." Prowl noted.

"What would you have gone with?" Pax asked. "Wait. Never mind. I don't want to know."

Prowl chuckled lightly.

"I do not condone the decepticons use of force yesterday. However...I accept it, and am offering their faction and its many members a clean slate today. I must encourage that they remain within the structure of peaceful protest, and I assure you, if you do, no action will be taken against you. And for the people of Cybertron, I also must announce that the Primal Vanguard has been dissolved. Enforcers and members of the government and its army will now be known, as Autobots." He removed his badge and held it up for the crowd to see.

Orion felt a warmth in his spark, as he saw the red badge glimmer in the sun.

"Cybertron deserves a new start, and its government, a new face. The Autobots represent an ideal, that we can all of us, be greater than the sum of our parts. That we will not compromise the best parts of our nature, that we will rise above. That none shall be judged by their alternate modes, shape, size, function, but by their character, by their spark. By their compassion, their spirit."

"He's good at working a crowd, that's for sure." Prowl observed.

"We will not repeat the mistakes of our predecessors, Cybertron, this is the Autobot's sincere promise..."

The signal cut out abruptly, leaving a blank screen.

Orion frowned.

"Somebody's getting fired." Prowl muttered. "Cutting our during a Prime's speech? That's a big no no."

"Somethings wrong..." Orion muttered, struggling to sit up again.

"What happened?" Ratchet asked, walking back in. "Did I miss the speech already?"

"Hello Cybertron." A cold voice greeted, and Orion's stomach turned.

Like an old wound ripped open again. Only this wound was hours old.

"You have been shown today another false promise. Yet another of Cybertron's regimes has taken over, promising change, equality, promising corruption is a thing of the past. I am here to tell you, you are all being deceived."

"What the hell is he doing?" Prowl asked.

"Zeta Prime is Sentinel Prime. The new senate is the old senate. Nothing ever changes until you force it to. And I intend to force change upon this world. I will not allow this final Prime to steal our victory from us. To those who believed we were finished after our victories of two night's ago, I am afraid you are mistaken. Cybertron will not be saved until it is liberated from the tyranny of Primes, the corruption of senates. I issue this as a warning to Zeta Prime, and any who follow him, to any who call themselves Primal Vanguard, Senators, or...Autobots. Any who wear the autobot badge, know that you are marked, and the decepticons are coming for you. We will overthrow you. We will free Cybertron."

Orion stared at the tv screen. Somehow even after what had happened, this was a shock.

"Pax?" Prowl asked, as the message ended. "Do you think this is real? Is he that angry?"

Pax turned and looked at Prowl, his optics sunk.

"This is who he is Prowl." He struggled to his feet. Prowl rushed over to help him. "I always marveled at his bravery, his strength, his mind...but this is what he is. This is what he has been ever since he came back from Messatine. I was too blind to see it." He sighed, looking down at his own battered frame. "But it's plain to see now."

"It's not your fault." Prowl said, as Pax stood up straight.

"Where do you think you're going?" Ratchet asked. "Lay back down this instant, you've suffered heavy trauma!"

"I have to go." Pax replied. "There's too much to be done." He said, limping off, with help from Prowl.

"I'll take care of him." Prowl assured the unhappy looking medic. "He'll be okay."

Orion let out a groan as one of his legs buckled, and he collapsed again.

"No. You're not okay." Ratchet insisted, lifting the mech up, and placing him back on the berth. "You need to allow yourself to heal."

"I created him, Ratchet!" Orion shouted. "We...we created him!" He gestures to Prowl. "We have to stop him."

"You'll get the chance." A voice said from the doorway.

They looked up to see Zeta Prime standing there, looking concerned.

At his side, Ultra Magnus, who nodded respectfully to them.

"Allow yourself to heal Pax. Once you're on your feet, I have a job for you." Zeta said, sitting next to the battered mech. "If you want it."

Orion seemed surprised by the presence of the Prime.

"You got here fast." He said with a dry chuckle. "What do you want me to do?"

Zeta exchanged a glance with the regal, towering Ultra Magnus.

"I'm putting some teams together. In the enforcement division. Cops, ex Vanguard types. Anti-terrorism. I want you to lead one of the teams."

Orion looked down at his crumpled frame.

"I'm not the best fighter." He lamented. "Megatron wiped the floor with me, at times literally."

"I know." Zeta replied. "The injury update on you was...quite a long read." He said with a smile.

"You've got the spirit for this kind of work." Ultra Magnus said, arms crossed. "What you did, fighting Megatron like that, taking that beating, allowing Prowl to escape...you did good, kid."

"You have the mind, you have the spirit, and you've always been a natural leader." Zeta Prime said. "I want the decepticons shut down before they do something we'll all regret. And after that threat issued today, I want Megatron behind bars."

Orion looked down at his autobot badge. He looked up at Zeta.

"Are you up for this? I know he was your friend..." Zeta said understandingly.

"Yes." Orion stated, with a confident nod. "I'm...very...up for this. I'll bring the decepticons down myself if I can." He said, anger in his voice.

"Even Megatron?" Ultra Magnus asked.

Orion narrowed his optics.

"Especially Megatron."

* * *

"You made the right choice." Soundwave stated. "Taking a stand against the Prime."

Megatron stood next to him, staring blankly at the screen in front of him, as it showed decepticon and autobot positions across Cybertron.

"I'm glad you agree." Megatron replied. "And Soundwave. If you ever disagree with a decision I make, you would be well advised not to vocalize it publicly. Just so we're clear."

Soundwave stared back at him.

"Of course, Megatron."

"Lord Megatron!" Starscream screeched, landing next to the duo. "We hit the autobot energon refinery in Scarvix! The entire supply was lost!"

"Thank you Starscream." Megatron replied.

Starscream let out a grunt.

"We lost four fliers doing it, thank you? That's it?" Starscream asked. "I got one of my wings singed!" He shouted, showing off a large scorch mark.

Megatron turned to face him.

"Then that's four more fliers to recruit. And a single thank you for doing your job as it was assigned. Do you wish for a promotion as well?"

Starscream chuckled nervously. "I mean, I would certainly accept if it was offered..."

Megatron grabbed his burned wing, and jerked his helm down, forcing the flier to his knees.

"Then I would smile and nod more, and whine less. I tire of your groveling, screeching, whining. Leave my presence, now, I feel my fusion cannon warming."

Starscream squawked as he fell onto his aft and crawled away, rubbing the burn on his wing that Megatron had grabbed so roughly.

"Are you well, Megatron?" Soundwave asked. "What happened in the pit..."

"Will not be discussed." Megatron replied, staring at the screen again, hands folded behind his back. "Show me the progress on project Nemesis."

Soundwave nodded, and typed into the computer.

A hologram appeared in front of the two. A giant structure amidst a snowy world.

"We had to begin construction off world. Messatine seemed like a fitting place." Soundwave said, as an image of a massive metal structure appeared on the screen. "Far too large to construct here."

All across the surface of it, decepticons were hard at work welding, and riveting in metal plates.

"She will be the mightiest of warships." Megatron stated, optics marveling at the sight. "We will not fail, Soundwave. Destiny never fails. And Cybertron is my destiny."

Soundwave nodded. "And if in the process, you find yourself facing Orion Pax again...?" He asked.

"I will not be denied, my friend." Megatron replied, staring up at the grand image. He looked around, as all the decepticons stopped to look at it.

Skywarp. Thundercracker. Shockwave. Ravage. Rumble and Frenzy. Laserbeak swooping down from above. The newly returned Blitzwing. Swindle. Motormaster. They all stood in formation around the two decepticons.

Megatron smirked, looking back at his army, then up at their future.

"No one will stand in my way."

* * *

Cast:

Megatron-Frank Welker

Sentinel Prime-Josh Brolin

Proteus-Tomas Arana

Soundwave-Frank Welker

Starscream-Steven Blum

Orion Pax-Troy Baker

Prowl-Steven Blum

Shockwave-Tom Hardy

Skywarp-Jason Isaac

Thundercracker-Nolan North

Barricade-Jess Harnell

Terminus-Max Von Sydow

Brawl-Nolan North

Swindle-Bill Burr

Astrotrain-Maurice Lamarche

Ratchet-John C. McGinley

Ultra Magnus-Keith David

Zeta Minor/Zeta Prime-Warren Kole

End Credits: The Big Bad Wolf by The Heavy

* * *

Authors notes:

So hey, this took a long time to wrap up. Life got in the way, repeatedly, so for those who stuck around to see this story completed, thank you so much for following along, and apologies for the long waits. This story is only just beginning, I assure you.

PS, I do cast lists for all (most?) of my stories, I like to think of them cinematically. This is my first time putting an end credits song on a story, I just thought this song embodies the theme of the story. Pay the song and cast list no mind if you don't wish to, it is purely for my personal benefit. Thanks again all

To be Continued in Autobots Rising


End file.
